CCSO Makes Arrest In School Bomb Threat

A new development in the bomb threat that caused the Cocke County High School to have to be evacuated Wednesday morning. Cocke County Sheriff CJ Ball says a 17 year old male student from Cocke County High School has been arrested for “Making Threats of Mass Violence”. Detectives arrested the student late Wednesday he has been transported to the Richard L. Bean Juvenile Detention Center in Knoxville. Making a threat of mass violence against a school is now a class D felony in the state of Tennessee.

Everything began around 8am Wednesday morning (11/5) when Cocke County High School officials became aware of a bomb threat. They communicated with local law enforcement and the decision was made to evacuate staff and students as a precaution. Multiple agencies responded inluding K-9 bomb units from Greene and Jefferson counties plus the Morristown Police department. After a sweep of the school found no credible threat, staff and students were allowed to return to class before noon.

Sheriff CJ Ball, in a statement released last night, thanked the many agencies that responded including the aforementioned K-9 units plus the Cocke County Sheriffs Office, Cocke County Juvenile Services, Cocke County Fire Department, Newport Police Department, Dispatchers, Newport City Fire, Cocke County Emergency Management and the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

He also thanked the Tennessee Department of Homeland Security for their assistance in the investigation, as well as the school staff and family members that were patient during this incident.