Martin Middle School Student Charged in Social Media School Threat Investigation

According to a press release from The Martin Police Department Chief Phillip Fuqua, a Martin Middle School student has been charged after investigations last week into social media threats against numerous schools in Weakley County.  

The Martin Police Department investigated several different social media posts on Friday, September 13 regarding vague threats. Extra officers were present at all Martin School locations as precautionary measures. The Martin Police Department Criminal Investigations Division worked directly with the TN Dept. of Homeland Security to check each and every aspect of those social media posts. As of Friday there have been no immediate substantiated threats discovered, according to Martin Chief of Police Phillip Fuqua. 

As a follow-up to their press release from the 13th, the initial social media post/threat in regard to potential school threats, it has been determined by MPD in conjunction with TN Dept. of Homeland Security that those posts were part of a nationwide false threat case that has caused chaos across the country. The FBI is currently working on that national case. 

Weakley County Schools were not the only schools across Tennessee dealing with these types of incidents. 

Sullivan County Sheriff Jeff Cassidy, President of the Tennessee Sheriff’s Association issued the following statement regarding social media threats:

Anyone making threats or inciting fear within schools and communities across Tennessee will not be tolerated. Those responsible will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. 

One of the main goals of an Elected Sheriff is to provide quality safety and ensure citizens feel secure in their surroundings. With the increased volume of school threats being made across the state of Tennessee, we want parents, students and citizens to know that we will not tolerate anyone making threats and inciting fear within our schools and community. Those responsible will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Making threats of violence against a school is a class E felony offense TCA 38-16-517, which carries life-altering consequences,” Cassidy noted in a press release issued by the TSA on Friday.

We urge parents to monitor what their child is posting on social media platforms and talk to them about the seriousness of making or even sharing threatening posts. As always, we continue to urge the community to report anything suspicious or potentially threatening in nature toward schools or any public building. We understand the frustration, stress and fear communities across our state are dealing with, and we will continue to investigate every threat received in an effort to ensure the safety of our schools and all citizens.

The second incident was in fact determined to be of local origin. This false threat through social media was thoroughly investigated and the responsible party was identified. As a result of this investigation, a Martin Middle School student was charged with TCA 38-16-517- Making Threats of Violence Against a School. This charge is a Class E Felony.

Due to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), MPD cannot comment on any action that was taken or was not taken by the Weakley County School System in regard to this incident.

The Martin Police Department asks that parents please monitor their school children’s usage of social media and cell phones. These types of posts are taken very seriously and require lots of resources to investigate. We welcome your cooperation in keeping our schools safe.

Weakley County Schools sent letters home with students on Monday, September 16 regarding the incidents.

"We want to assure you that keeping your children, our employees, and visitors safe is a responsibility we take seriously," the letter stated.

The letter had multiple agencies listed, attached with signatures, to inform that  "we want our schools to be safe and free from unsettling distractions these events desire to achieve." Agencies listed included Weakley County Schools, City of Dresden Police, Weakley County Sheriff's Office, Gleason Police, Martin Police, Greenfield Police, Weakley County Juvenile Services and Sharon police. 

The letter further stated that Weakley County Schools requests that parents have frequent conversations with their children on appropriatley expressing themselves when upset, to speak to a trusted adult when a problem or fear is immediate, to inform children of consequences for making threats and that "even sharing a post could result in serious consequence," to inform them if they overhear or discover concerning information to "tell their principal, assistant principal, SRO or teacher immediately before doing anything else," for parents to observe mood and behavior changes in their children so the school can use their resources to help, to make sure your child's school has current contact information, to "monitor, and ideally, limit your child's activity online," and lastly to help the school limit the spread of rumors to contact your child's principal, the central office, the juvenile office, local police department or sheriff's office of potential threats.