Yesterday evening, Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office and Rutherford County School System were made aware of social media messages circulated through Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, and other platforms indicating a threat of violence at a number of Rutherford County and surrounding schools which was threatened to occur on Friday, September 13, 2024.
These messages have been broadly recirculated through the school communities and throughout the county as a whole. School officials and law enforcement personnel appreciate all the calls, texts, and tip line calls alerting us to the messages and the potential threats they express.
The broader message listing multiple schools seems to have stemmed from a more specific post identifying one school earlier yesterday. We have investigated the source of the original post and its recirculation within the local school community. A thorough investigation by the Rutherford County Sheriff’s office and the Rutherford County Schools Investigator leads us to believe the original message in question poses no credible threat. Home visits have been made to those who were impersonating another individual and who are believed to have been the originators of the initial post. While the threats seem to have been a hoax, citizens are reminded that making a false threat of violence at a school is a Class H felony.
These messages have been broadly recirculated through the school communities and throughout the county as a whole. School officials and law enforcement personnel appreciate all the calls, texts, and tip line calls alerting us to the messages and the potential threats they express.
The broader message listing multiple schools seems to have stemmed from a more specific post identifying one school earlier yesterday. We have investigated the source of the original post and its recirculation within the local school community. A thorough investigation by the Rutherford County Sheriff’s office and the Rutherford County Schools Investigator leads us to believe the original message in question poses no credible threat. Home visits have been made to those who were impersonating another individual and who are believed to have been the originators of the initial post. While the threats seem to have been a hoax, citizens are reminded that making a false threat of violence at a school is a Class H felony.
At all times, the safety of the students and schools in Rutherford County are our top priority. We will continue to monitor social media activity, investigate real and potential threats, and take every step necessary to ensure a safe school environment. As is customary with this type of situation, extra law enforcement will be present at our schools so that no student feels unsafe.