TBI investigates student threats of violence at CHS

By Julie Fann
star staff
jfann@starhq.com

   The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and Carter County Sheriff's Department are investigating threats of violence made by possibly more than one student against other students, teachers, and Resource Officer Michael Carlock at Cloudland High School, CCSD Sheriff John Henson said Thursday.
   A student at the high school apparently left a note written on notebook paper in a hallway near lockers on Dec. 2, and another student found it and notified school officials. Henson would not release the name of the student who wrote the note or names of those besides Carlock who were threatened.
   "The note was threatening the children and teachers with something along the lines of, 'I'll get you,'" Henson said. "We haven't established a motive yet. We don't know whether it's just some kid running off at the mouth or not, but you can't take anything for granted. You don't leave any stone unturned, as the old saying goes. We have one suspect, but we believe there are others because other letters have been received since the first one."
   Superintendent of Carter County Schools Dallas Williams said the student admitted writing the note and "was removed" from the school. He also believes other students may be involved.
   "We believe others are involved because other notes were written ... We appreciate the sheriff's office and what they're doing. We're treating it as a very serious situation, and we're trying to get it resolved as soon as possible," Williams said.
   TBI spokesperson Jeanne Broadwell confirmed Thursday afternoon that the case remains open, but she would not give any details. Henson said the TBI was notified because a school officer was threatened. "The TBI is assisting my officer in investigating this. You don't take any threats too lightly, and when an officer is threatened or an official, the TBI gets involved. I mean, this is a school we're talking about," he said.
   No charges will be filed until the investigation is closed, Henson said. "We'll do our charging and deal with it in court, and the school administration will have to deal with it on their end."