TBI Investigating Hoax Threat Calls Against Schools

The TBI is now working with the FBI and the TN Department of Safety to identify the person or persons responsible for calling in a threat of an active shooter at eight schools across the state of Tennessee. Those calls were a hoax and four schools in East Tennessee received that call. Those schools were Knoxville Central High; Morristown West High School; Jefferson County High; and Science Hill High School in Johnson City. Calls were also received by schools in Montgomery County and Hamilton County. Cocke County schools did not receive one of those calls.

Investigators with the TBI believe the calls were computer generated. Those calls about the schools came in at around 10:30am Wednesday morning. The Jefferson County High School was put into lockdown while the threat was being investigated.

In an unrelated incident, a Jefferson County Middle School student was expelled on Wednesday after making threats against a school on social media. According to the Criminal Investigation Division of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s office, investigators identified a student at another school as the person who had made the social media post against Maury Middle School in Dandridge. That student has now been expelled and the sheriff’s office says charges are expected to be filed soon.