In response to the recent rash of school-related threats, Knoxville Police Department officers will have added presence at Knoxville (Knox County) schools while Investigations Bureau detectives have been designated solely to evaluate, respond to, and investigate school threats.

Over the coming days, KPD officers will have increased visibility at area schools, particularly when students and staff are arriving for the day and as they are leaving school grounds.

A KPD officer and supervisor will respond to any school threat that is reported to conduct the preliminary investigation, regardless of if the threat is actual or implied or is reported during or outside of school hours. Following the preliminary investigation, a KPD Investigations Bureau detective will respond to investigate further. The Investigations Bureau has also assigned one central point of contact to act as the clearinghouse for all school-related threats.

Additionally, detectives are working closely with Knox County Sheriff’s Office investigators and personnel, Tennessee Office of Homeland Security agents, FBI Knoxville agents and Knox County School Security to respond to and investigate school threats as they are reported.

“We understand the stress that our community is feeling and will have zero tolerance for any threats of violence directed at our schools, students or staff,” Chief Paul Noel said. “We have and will continue to treat these threats with the intense seriousness they deserve. We will also charge any individuals who make threats towards our schools to the fullest extent possible.”

As of 3 p.m., KPD officers had arrested at least six students today for making threats of mass violence. One 12-year-old male was charged in relation to a social media threat directed at Holston Middle School. Unrelated to that threat, a 13-year-old male has been charged for making a school shooting threat that was also directed at Holston Middle School.

A second 12-year-old male was charged for a social media threat directed at Northwest Middle School. Unrelated to that threat, a 14-year-old male was also charged for making a school-shooting threat that was also directed as Northwest Middle School.

A 14-year-old female was also charged for making a threat directed at Richard Yoakley School, while a 14-year-old male was arrested for making threats connected to Fulton High School.

Several additional investigations into school-related threats are ongoing.