15 arrests for school threats during first month of school in Tennessee Valley

From Local 3 News: While the 2024-2025 school year has just begun, law enforcement officers have been busy responding to several school threats.

There have been 15 arrests for school threats in the Tennessee Valley in the first month of the school year.

August 8: The first threat of the school year came at Ooltewah Middle School. The Hamilton County Sheriff's Department says a student indicated they had some type of explosive in their backpack to "blow up the school". The School Resource Deputy checked the backpack and did not find any explosives.

The student was taken to the Hamilton County Juvenile Detention Center and charged with threat of mass violence.

August 14: School threats were reported in McMinn and Hamilton County.

McMinn County Sheriff Joe Guy said a threatening social media post led to two students at McMinn Central High School placed on suspension.

That same day, the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office reports a Brown Middle School student stated in a classroom that "he wanted to blow up the school." The student admitted to the threat and was charged with threat of mass violence.

August 19: The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office says students and a teacher at Hixson Middle School overheard a male student make a threat in the classroom. The student was taken into custody, transported to the Hamilton County Juvenile Detention Center, and charged with threat of mass violence on school property.

The following week, four school threats were reported.

August 25: Hamilton County deputies learned of a threat of mass violence at Red Bank High School through an anonymous tip. Investigators were able to quickly identify and arrest the juvenile student with threat of mass violence at a school.

August 26: A School Resource Deputy at East Hamilton High School was made aware of a possible threat of mass violence over email. The student was arrested and charged with false reports.

August 26: Later in the same day, a teacher at Brown Middle School reported hearing a student make a threat in the classroom. The student was taken into custody and charged with threat of mass violence.

August 27: A School Resource Deputy at Chattanooga Preparatory School learned of a threat a student made while in class. Investigation found a 14-year-old threatened to "burn down the classroom." The student was arrested and charged with making a threat of mass violence on school property.

September 4: A former student at the Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences (CSAS) was arrested after a threat to the school was found in text messages between students and the former student.

The former student, who was enrolled at Ivy Academy, confessed to making the threat and was charged with threats of mass violence.

September 5: A Hunter Middle School student who is accused of threatening to "shoot down the school" was stopped by the School Resource Deputy as he arrived at school.
After several witnesses came forward, the student was arrested and charged with a threat of mass violence.

September 5: Sarah Morton, the mother of a Soddy Daisy Middle School student was arrested after reportedly making threats toward the school.

Morton is accused of threatening to drive her car through the school and burn it down.
She was booked at the Hamilton County Jail and Detention Center on a charge of threatening mass violence.

September 9: A Hunter Middle School student alerted officials of another student who stated they would bomb the school. The HCSO School Resource Deputy questioned the student and obtained written statements from other students who overheard the suspect saying he wanted to "blow up the school."

The student has been charged with threats of mass violence.

September 10: Three middle schoolers were charged for making school threats at separate schools on the same day.

The first was at Hixson Middle School in which a student said he was going to "shoot the gym up."

The second incident happened at Red Bank Middle School, where a student claimed that he had a bomb in his backpack.

The third threat was at Soddy Daisy Middle School, where school officials say a student threatened to "shoot up the school."

Each student was charged with threats of mass violence.

Data obtained by Local 3 News from Hamilton County Schools shows that school threats have largely fluctuated over the past five school years:

• 2023-24: 54 total threats were reported. 
• 2022-23: 67 total threats were reported. 
• 2021-22: 107 total threats were reported. 
• 2020-21: 45 total threats were reported. 
• 2019-20: 151 total threats were reported. 

Hamilton County Schools began tracking threats of mass violence in its own category during last year's school year.