School Threats On The Rise In Tennessee

The Tennessee Deptartment of Safety and Homeland Security investigated 125 school threats last week.

Tennessee Homeland Security agents have investigated 321 reports of school threats from August 1^st through September 14th, but the actual number of threats made against Tennessee schools is likely higher because not every threat is reported to the state.

In 2023, the General Assembly approved Governor Bill Lee’s funding request to place a Homeland Security agent in every county in Tennessee, which has allowed the state department to become more active and present in school threat investigations.

The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security has uncovered a “handful” of credible threats through agents’ investigations, but, many of the reported threats made turned out to be hoaxes and jokes, which is a growing problem.

It is now a felony to make a threat of mass violence against a school in Tennessee, thanks to a bill lawmakers passed during the 2024 legislative session.

You can anonymously report a school threat through the SafeTN app, or by calling the TN Homeland Security’s threat assessment center at (615) 532-7825. You can also call your local law enforcement agency.