KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Knox County Sheriff's Office is investigating two separate social media threats made toward Powell and Carter high schools on Monday.
According to KCSO, Powell High School had to be evacuated out of precaution after a threat came in through social media Monday morning. Carter High School was placed on a soft lockdown for a different threat.
KCSO said the information it has is limited at the moment, saying detectives are interviewing students.
As of 2:23 p.m., the Knox County Sheriff's Office said both Carter and Powell high schools were cleared, but investigators are still looking into the origin(s) of the two threats.
In a statement, Sheriff Tom Spangler wanted to remind the public that the sheriff's office takes school threats seriously and investigates them as with any crime. He said anyone found making a substantiated threat will be arrested and face criminal prosecution.
He urged parents and guardians to talk with their child(ren) and explain the seriousness of these types of threats, saying "the safety of our children, the faculty, and the administration is paramount."
This story is developing and will be updated as more information becomes available.