Since the start of the school year, dozens of Hamilton County students have been arrested on campus.
The reasons for their arrests have ranged from carrying a weapon on campus to making a threat of mass violence, which Tennessee lawmakers have ramped up the consequences for in recent years.
Under state law, threats of mass violence include any act that a reasonable person would conclude could lead to the serious bodily injury or death of two or more people. The threat can be made in any form, including text messages, diagrams and social media posts.
Superintendent Justin Robertson previously told the Chattanooga Times Free Press it was important to recognize that the majority of the threats of mass violence incidents were not made with intent to follow through. He characterized many of them as students making comments out of an emotional response.
With the way the law is written, the threats have to be treated as real even if there’s no plan or intent behind them.
(READ MORE: Hamilton County school board draws concerns about school safety)
In 2023, lawmakers added threatening mass violence on school property or at a school-related activity to the list of actions considered a zero-tolerance offense, which results in a one-year expulsion. That law was amended this year to condition the expulsion of the student on whether a threat assessment determines the threat to be valid.
A different law this year also upgraded the penalty for making a threat of mass violence from a misdemeanor to a felony.
Community members can report threats using the district’s anonymous quick tip line. The tip line is available on all school websites and the district website
INCIDENTS
These are all of the student arrests, threats and weapons confiscations at Hamilton County schools that have been reported by the sheriff’s office this school year, with the most recent ones first:
– Sept. 25: A Center for Creative Arts student made a statement about “blowing up the school” and referenced an internet search of the same nature. The 14-year-old was arrested and charged with threat of mass violence.
– Sept. 25: A Chattanooga Preparatory student allegedly threatened in a classroom to “shoot up the school.” The student was charged with threat of mass violence.
– Sept. 25: A juvenile allegedly posted threats against Hixson Middle via Snapchat. The case was referred to the Tennessee Department of Homeland Security because the threat came from out of state.
– Sept. 25: A threat was investigated at East Hamilton High, but it was determined to not be legitimate.
– Sept. 25: An Ooltewah High student allegedly passed a note to other students that said, “I’ll kill all y’all,” along with obscenities and a middle finger drawn on the paper. The note was seized by the school’s resource deputy, and the student admitted to writing the note. The student was charged with threat of mass violence.
– Sept. 24: Avery York, 22, was arrested for making threats on TikTok toward Red Bank High. He was charged with threats of mass violence at a school.
– Sept. 19: A Dalewood Middle student, 12, was arrested after she allegedly stood up during class and threatened to kill everyone at her table. She was charged with making threats of mass violence on school property.
– Sept. 19: A Central High student reported a Snapchat video saying someone was going to pull a fire alarm and shoot people as they exited the school. The alleged video did not name a specific school. Shortly after, two separate students received a text with a screenshot of a gun and a message saying, “They would be at Central High School at noon.” The initial investigation determined the threat originated out of state and was deemed not credible at this time.
– Sept. 13: A Normal Park Upper School student allegedly said, “I’m going to shoot y’all up,” and made racial comments while riding a school bus. He was charged with a threat of mass violence on school property.
– Sept. 13: Chattanooga Preparatory School officials heard there may be a gun on campus around 8:45 a.m., and staff recovered a gun from a student’s backpack. The student who brought the backpack fled the campus before officials could take the student into custody.
– Sept. 12: A Chattanooga Preparatory School student allegedly threatened to kill two teachers. The student was charged with threats of mass violence on school property.
– Sept. 11: A Tyner Middle student allegedly threatened to shoot the school up. The student was charged with threat of mass violence.
– Sept. 10: A Hixson Middle student allegedly stated he was going to “shoot the gym up.” During the investigation, statements were gathered from several witnesses and a confession was obtained from the student. He was charged with threats of mass violence.
– Sept. 10: A Red Bank Middle student allegedly claimed he had a bomb in his backpack. This statement was made to other students, who reported the incident. An investigation was immediately conducted, and the student confessed to making the statement. He was charged with threats of mass violence.
– Sept. 10: A Soddy Daisy Middle student allegedly threatened to “shoot the school up.” The student was charged with threats of mass violence.
– Sept. 9: A Hunter Middle student indicated that another student threatened to bomb the school. The school’s resource deputy was contacted, and the student was identified and immediately isolated for further questioning. The student was charged with threats of mass violence.
– Sept. 5: Sarah Morton, 31, was arrested and charged with threats of mass violence after allegedly telling the school counselor at Soddy Daisy Middle, “I’m ready to come up there and burn that school down.” On Aug. 30, it was reported Morton contacted a medical professional and during the conversation stated she “will drive her car through the front of the school.”
– Sept. 5: A Hunter Middle student allegedly said he was going to “shoot down the school” and framed his hand like a gun, acting like he was shooting other students. School administrators did not find a weapon on the student or in his belongings. He was charged with threats of mass violence.
– Sept. 4: An Ivy Academy student was arrested after apparently making threats to the Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences. The student allegedly shared several images in a group text of schematics for an explosive device and images of armor-piercing bullets in a group, as well as asked for help in getting a diagram or map of Arts and Sciences. School deputies interviewed the student at Ivy Academy, where the student confessed to making the threat. The student was charged with threat of mass violence.
– Sept. 3: An East Hamilton Middle student was arrested after allegedly carrying a gun on school property. School administrators received a tip at 10 a.m. and searched the student’s locker. They found two backpacks, one of which contained a Beretta 9mm semiautomatic pistol with no magazine and a loaded 9mm magazine for a Glock semiautomatic pistol. The student was charged with carrying weapons on school property and unlawful carrying or possession of a firearm.
– Aug. 28: A Central High student was arrested and pepper sprayed on campus after a struggle with the school’s resource deputy. The student left campus earlier in the day, reportedly upset over a disciplinary issue. He returned later and was swearing and acting disorderly. The school’s resource deputy gave him a warning and escorted him to the reception area. There, the student reportedly refused to follow the deputy’s commands. After an extended physical struggle, the deputy used pepper spray to effect an arrest. The student was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
– Aug. 27: A Chattanooga Preparatory School student allegedly made a statement in class that the student was going to “burn down the classroom.” The student was charged with threat of mass violence on school property.
– Aug. 27: A student at The Howard School was arrested in connection with an incident involving a gun on school grounds. At 2 p.m., school administrators were made aware of a social media post from a student depicting a handgun tucked into the student’s waistband on school property. The student was removed from class, and the school’s resource deputy and officer found a loaded 9 mm handgun on the student. The magazine had 12 rounds of ammunition and one chambered round. The student was charged with carrying a weapon on school property, unlawful carry or possession of a weapon and possession of a stolen firearm.
– Aug. 26: A Brown Middle student was charged with threat of mass violence.
– Aug. 26: East Hamilton High’s resource deputy was made aware of a possible threat of mass violence that had been made via email. During the investigation, the resource deputy questioned the student implicated in the email. The student was charged with false reports.
– Aug. 25: A Red Bank High student was located after an anonymous tip reported the student made a threat of mass violence. The student was charged with threat of mass violence at a school.
– Aug. 19: A Hixson Middle student allegedly made a threat of mass violence in a classroom. The student was charged with threat of mass violence on school property.
– Aug. 14: A Brown Middle student allegedly made a statement in a classroom that he wanted to blow up the school. During an investigation by the school’s resource deputy, the student admitted to making the threat. He was charged with threat of mass violence.
– Aug. 13: Two students at The Howard School were arrested after a fight. After the students were separated by law enforcement, a 9 mm Glock 43 pistol fell from the male student’s waistband. The gun had an extended loaded magazine but did not have a round in the chamber. The male student was charged with possession of a weapon on school property and disorderly conduct, and the female student was charged with disorderly conduct.
– Aug. 8: An Ooltewah Middle student allegedly indicated some type of explosive was in the student’s backpack that would blow up the school. The backpack was not found to contain any explosive device. The student was charged with threat of mass violence.
– Compiled by Shannon Coan