KNOX COUNTY, Tenn. — UPDATE (9/11): The Knoxville Police Department have made six more arrests Wednesday for making threats to Knoxville schools.
According to Knoxville Police, the following students have been charged:
- A 12-year-old male was charged in relation to a social media threat directed at Holston Middle School
- A 13-year-old male was charged for making a school shooting threat that was also directed at Holston Middle School
- A 12-year-old male was charged for a social media threat directed at Northwest Middle School
- A 14-year-old male was charged for making a school-shooting threat that was also directed as Northwest Middle School
- A 14-year-old female was charged for making a threat directed at Richard Yoakley School
- A 14-year-old male was arrested for making threats connected to Fulton High School
In response to the multiple school threats, KPD said they will have added more officers at Knoxville schools while its Investigations Bureau detectives have been designated solely to evaluate, respond to and investigate school threats.
KPD said they will have increased visibility at area schools, specifically when students and staff are arriving for the day and as they are leaving school.
They said a KPD officer and supervisor will "respond to any school threat that is reported to conduct the preliminary investigation, regardless of if the threat is actual or implied or is reported during or outside of school hours."
Following the preliminary investigation, a KPD Investigations Bureau detective will respond to investigate further. The Investigations Bureau has also assigned one central point of contact to act as the clearinghouse for all school-related threats, according to Knoxville Police.
“We understand the stress that our community is feeling and will have zero tolerance for any threats of violence directed at our schools, students or staff,” Chief Paul Noel said. “We have and will continue to treat these threats with the intense seriousness they deserve. We will also charge any individuals who make threats towards our schools to the fullest extent possible.”
KPD said they are working closely with Knox County Sheriff’s Office investigators and personnel, Tennessee Office of Homeland Security agents, FBI Knoxville agents and Knox County School Security to respond to and investigate school threats as they are reported.
Several additional investigations into school-related threats are ongoing at this time.
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ORIGINAL
The Knox County Sheriff's Office said it responded to a total of seven school-related threats on Tuesday. However, it said some of those threats were related to each other. It took two students into custody on Tuesday as a result of the threats.
The first was reported at around 8:15 a.m. at Carter Middle School when the sheriff's office said a student threatened to shoot people at the school. It said deputies arrested a 13-year-old, eighth-grade student as part of the investigation.
While investigating that threat, the sheriff's office said it learned of a second threat at Halls Middle School. A release said investigators believed the threat was connected to another investigation.
Deputies also responded to a third report at Halls High School, which was also determined to be "reports of the original threat from social media." On Tuesday, Knox County Schools notified parents that it learned of possible threats to several schools. A list was shared widely on social media, listing a variety of schools across the U.S. including Knox County Schools. The post included vaguely threatening language.
The sheriff's office said it made a fourth response to Gibbs High School after it said a separate threat was reported. The sheriff's office said it was investigating that report.
The sheriff's office took a 12-year-old, seventh-grade student at West Valley Middle School in its fifth response of the day after the sheriff's office said the student made threats online.
A bomb threat was made against Halls Middle School, according to the sheriff's office. No arrest was made in that investigation, marking the sixth response of the day.
The seventh threat was made against Hardin Valley Academy on Tuesday and the sheriff's office said it was investigating.
Six arrests were reported in Tennessee over the last week for school threats, according to authorities.
On Sept. 6, the sheriff's office said a 14-year-old and 18-year-old were also arrested for threats made against Halls High School. The Knoxville Police Department also said it brought an 11-year-old student into custody for making threats against Vine Middle School, on top of the two arrests KCSO made on Tuesday. In Oak Ridge, a middle school student was also charged on Sept. 6 for making violent threats.
Across state lines, the Knox County Sheriff's Department in Kentucky said it arrested a 14-year-old student for making threatening social media posts.