Athens, Tanner students become 9th and 10th arrested for threats from North Alabama

ATHENS, Ala. (WHNT) — An Athens fifth-grader and a Tanner high schooler became the ninth and tenth students in North Alabama to face charges for making a threat on Friday.

According to the Athens Police Department, a 10-year-old Athens Intermediate student was arrested at his home for making a terrorist threat.

The Limestone County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest of another Tanner High student, making them the fifth student arrested in the Limestone County school system for making a terrorist threat this week.

The sheriff’s office said the student was heard making a threat on a bus Friday

“The student went into specific detail about his plan and how he would execute it. The many students who heard it reported this threat to SRO Townsend, and he took custody of the student. The student confessed to the verbal threat made to those at the school,” LCSO said.

LCSO said probable cause was found to charge the student with second-degree making a terrorist threat.

Athens Police Chief Anthony Pressnell said they were notified the student was texting threats to students at Athens Middle School.

“Working with school officials, we quickly identified the student, who was not a school today. We arrested the student at his home,” Pressnell said. “Our department takes any threat seriously… Students need to realize there are consequences for making such threats.”

Presnell said the student’s father talked to him Thursday night about not getting involved in sharing or discussing these types of threats on social media.

The eight other students arrested for making terrorist threats include two students from Clements , one from Elkmont , one from Tanner , one from Muscle Shoals , one from Sheffield , one from Boaz , and one from Cullman County.

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Athens City Schools also released a statement asking parents to take the time this weekend to reinforce to the children that the system take threats like these seriously and “will not tolerate any sort of threat.” It added that multiple threats have been shared on social media this week, most of which originated in other states but still spread fear for students.

“Again, please remind your children not to share threats on social media, and to report them to an administrator or the superintendent,” the school statement said. “We are thankful for the students and parents who have reported potential threats.”

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