Update (9/7/24):

The Knox County Sheriff’s Office Juvenile Detectives, Major Crimes Detectives, and Patrol Officers responded to various threats Friday at Halls Middle and High Schools in North Knox County.

The following arrests have been made as a result –

A 14-year-old Halls High School Student was arrested around noon this afternoon for threats of mass violence; he was taken to Richard L. Bean juvenile detention facility. Due to the suspect being a juvenile, no other information or details will be released.

An 18-year-old Halls High Student was arrested for threats of mass violence. Charles McCarter was arrested and taken to the Roger D. Wilson Detention Facility later in the afternoon.

Additional threats are being investigated. In response to those threats, several additional resources assisted with the initial investigation, including the Knox County Sheriff’s Hazardous Device Unit, Multiple K-9 Teams, the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Tennessee Homeland Security, the Knoxville Police Department, and the Knox County Schools Security Division, and Dr. Jon Rysewyk KCS Superintendent.

“I can’t stress enough, as I have said many times before, WE WILL TAKE EVERY THREAT AGAINST OUR SCHOOLS SERIOUSLY.  There WILL be consequences for this behavior, and as long as I am the Sheriff, it will not be tolerated in Knox County.

I want to thank everyone who responded so quickly. We are grateful for our partnership with the Knox County School Security Division, The Knoxville Police Department, and The Tennessee Highway Patrol.  I commend our Patrol Officers assigned to our schools and our Juvenile and Major Crimes Units for their tireless efforts in keeping our schools safe.  We appreciate the cooperation of the Halls faculty and the parents. Please talk to your kids and let them know who their friends are and what they are doing online.  If you need help, reach out!”

-Tom Spangler, Sheriff

Knoxville, TN (WOKI) Juvenile detectives with the Knox County Sheriff’s Office Friday afternoon arrested a 14-year-old Halls High School Student.

KCSO officials say the student was arrested around noon for making threats of mass violence.

It comes the same day as the teen charged in a Georgia high school shooting appeared in court for the first time.

In a release, Knox County Sheriff Tom Spangler doubled-down on his department’s pledge to take every threat against KCS schools “seriously,” adding that there will be consequences for this type of behavior.

“I can’t stress enough as I have said many times before, WE WILL TAKE EVERY THREAT AGAINST OUR SCHOOLS SERIOUSLY.  There WILL be consequences for this type of behavior and as long as I am the Sheriff it will not be tolerated in Knox County.” – Tom Spangler, Sheriff