Knoxville, TN – Tennessee Sheriffs issued a stark warning Friday following a wave of school threats that led to the arrest of nine students in Knox County. Sullivan County Sheriff Jeff Cassidy, president of the Tennessee Sheriffs’ Association, stressed that making threats against schools is a serious felony offense in the state.
The Knox County Sheriff’s Office faced an unprecedented number of threats between September 6-13, 2024, involving students at various schools, including Halls High School, West Valley Middle School, Carter Middle School, and South Doyle High School.
The arrests began on September 6 when a 14-year-old Halls High School student and 18-year-old Charles McCarter were detained for threats of mass violence. Following these arrests, additional threats surfaced, prompting the Sheriff’s Office to deploy K-9 units and work closely with Tennessee Homeland Security.
On September 10, a 13-year-old Carter Middle School student was arrested after threatening to shoot up the school. That same day, a bomb threat at Halls Middle School and online threats at West Valley Middle School led to further student arrests.
The situation intensified on September 13, when five more threats were reported across Knox County schools, resulting in the arrest of a 12-year-old Cedar Bluff Middle School student and an 11-year-old Hardin Valley Middle School student, among others.
“We urge parents to monitor what their child is posting on social media platforms and to talk to them about the seriousness of making or even sharing threatening posts. As always, we continue to urge the community to report anything suspicious or potentially threatening in nature toward schools or any public building,” Cassidy said urging parents to monitor their children’s online activity and warned that law enforcement would prosecute offenders to the fullest extent. “We understand the frustration, stress, and fear communities across our state are dealing with, and we will continue to investigate every threat received in an effort to ensure the safety of our schools and all citizens.”
As the investigation continues, officials warn that further arrests could follow. Authorities urge communities to report any suspicious behavior, while law enforcement focuses on ensuring safety for all schools.
