ROBERTSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — Middle Tennessee has seen an alarming amount of school threats this school year.
Tuesday morning, Greenbrier Middle School became the latest target when it was placed on lockdown due to a bomb threat. After a sweep by police, nothing was found.
“These types of school disruptions and distractions are becoming more common,” said Steve Sorrells, Assistant Director of Schools.
The assistant director of schools told News 2 it started with a phone call to the receptionist’s office. After a sweep was conducted, nothing was found, and it was determined to be a false report.
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Meanwhile, across several county lines in Wilson County. “We had so many threats of mass violence whether it was on social media or someone in the lunchroom saying they were going to shoot someone else, and we charged a high majority of those individuals,” said Captain Scott Moore.
The Wilson County Sheriff’s Office saw 23 threats in the first three months of the school year. Eighteen of those threats came over a two-week time period.
Social media can help deputies track these threats down, but it can also slow down investigations.
“We keep using the phrase ‘report don’t post.’ When people encounter threats, we need it to get to law enforcement as soon as possible,” Jeff Luttrell, Wilson County Director of Schools said Monday night.
In Wilson County, parents and students are encouraged to report any potential threat online through the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office.
However, state officials are asking families in all 95 counties to download the SafeTN app — and use it to report threats.
“The best part about this app is you can report things anonymously,” said Special Agent Jason Pack, Director of Communications for the Department of Safety and Homeland Security.
Special Agent Pack said you can download it for free in the app store and include pictures of the alleged threat. He said the number of tips typically goes up after events like today.
“No information is too small, and we want people to download that app and take security into your own hands literally,” Pack said.
