Knox County Sheriff’s Office: Several threats made against Halls schools

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The Knox County Sheriff’s Office held a press conference Friday evening following threats against schools in Halls. Sheriff Tom Spangler said several investigations into threats at both Halls Middle and High School are underway.

The investigations began Friday morning. Several law enforcement agencies are assisting KCSO.

“This is not a joke anymore. It never was a joke, but I think some of our… we have a small percentage of individuals who are making these threats. And we’re not going to tolerate it. As I’ve said, we’re going to make sure that we’re going to punish you to the fullest extent,” said Spangler.

He added, “Parents, this is a notice to you as well. If you don’t get, if you’re having a problem with a child, and you know about it and you’re not letting us know about it. We’re going to come after you as well. This has just become too much, too often. Everybody knows what happened in Georgia two days ago. We do not, we do not want that to happen here in Knox County and in the city of Knoxville.”

“We do, as the sheriff said, have resources if you’re a parent who has a kid who’s struggling, we have resources to be able to handle that and to be able to help your students and help you build a plan for that,” said Superintendent Jon Rysewyk.

The football game at Halls High School has been moved back to 7:30 p.m. as a result of the threats.

This is a developing story. Download the WATE 6 News app or sign up for our email alerts for updates.

On Friday, KCSO shared that two Halls High School students were charged with making threats of mass violence . The nature of the threat or when it was reported was not shared.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WATE 6 On Your Side.