One student arrested for bomb threat in Farragut; second identified in Hardin Valley threat

Posted at 8:36 pm March 29, 2016
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

A 16-year-old male student from Farragut High School was arrested for making a bomb threat at the school on Tuesday morning, and a second student who made a bomb threat at Hardin Valley Elementary has been identified, authorities said.

The arrest and identification were announced by the Major Crimes Unit of the Knox County Sheriff’s Office.

Farragut High School was on lockdown on Tuesday while KCSO investigators searched the school and interviewed students and staff after a threat was found on a wall in a boys’ restroom. The 16-year-old is charged with vandalism and making a bomb threat, the KCSO said.

“Once again, cooperation between law enforcement and students and school officials helped solve the case,” authorities said. “KCSO is investigating other suspects and expects more arrests.”

The bomb threat at Hardin Valley Elementary was also made Tuesday, the Major Crimes Unit said. That investigation continues.

The Knox County Sheriff’s Office announced Monday that it had charged a 16-year-old girl with making a bomb threat at Hardin Valley Academy last week.

That teen is a student at Hardin Valley Academy, and she is charged with making a bomb threat and vandalism, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office said. The school was closed last Thursday after school officials found a bomb threat written on the girls’ bathroom wall.

The KCSO said that help solving the Hardin Valley Academy case came about because of the “See Something, Say Something” program that has been implemented by law enforcement in conjunction with the Knox County school system. Students and school officials came forward with information that aided the KCSO investigation, authorities said.

On Monday, the Sheriff’s Office asked students and staff at Farragut High School to step forward with information on recent bomb threats there.

The Tuesday threat at Farragut High School was the fourth threat since February 25.

School officials have said they believe the threats are poor attempts from a student or group of students trying to disrupt school instruction.

Knox County Board of Education member Karen Carson, whose District 5 includes Farragut High School, has organized a community meeting to discuss the recent threats. That meeting is scheduled from 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday in the Farragut High School library.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

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