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According to the release, Edgemont student resource officer Colby Franco was contacted by a concerned student's parent about a male teen student who had a kill list he planned to use to shoot specific students at the school in Newport, Tennessee.
Franco investigated the threat and he and another officer went to the student's home, where the student willingly showed the officers the kill list and the officers noted an unsecured .40-caliber handgun in the mother's bedroom.
Student bullied?
The student said he'd been bullied but that he only wanted to scare students and had no intentions of harming anyone, according to the release.
The teen nor any other student reported the bullying to the principal or school staff, the release says.
No other guns were found in the home, but knives were, according to the release, and authorities advised the mother to make sure those weapons were locked up.
The boy was advised of his rights by the sheriff, and told authorities he was being bullied at the school over the past year, mostly last year, according to the release. The teen stated he was angry, and had no intention of killing anyone, but he wanted to scare them.
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According to the news release: "The investigation revealed that the child was disgruntled, had articulable motive to commit a shooting, and had access to only one semi-automatic weapon, yet did not follow through with injuring any students, but did in fact intentionally create legitimate fear. It was determined that the suspect did in fact make threats to kill or shoot students at Edgemont School, however the children failed to report the threats to faculty."
Edgemont Principal Nathan Chambers, who could not be reached for comment by USA TODAY NETWORK-Tennessee on Friday, is said to be continuing to address several students who were determined to have any involvement in any form of bullying involving any student, according to Fontes' release.
Additionally, Fontes wrote: "I want to express my gratitude to the student who reported the matter to her mother after concern was raised. Parents, please teach your children to take all threats seriously and to report them to a faculty member immediately. Parents, please express to your children the importance of treating others with respect and to not partake in any type of bullying even if it is a joke."
He also pointed out that it's vital for all gun owners to keep weapons secured in a "strong, locked container and not accessible to their children."
In Meigs County
Meigs County High School had officers and counselors on standby Friday after a student was arrested overnight on charges of posting a threat against the school on social media.
The student remains in custody pending an appearance in Juvenile Court, said Tad Roberts, director of safety and social services for Meigs County Schools. Because the student's charged as a juvenile, officials didn't give the student's name or other personal details.
School officials gave no specifics on the threat, other than to call it "violent." Fellow students saw the threat and reported it to authorities shortly after it was posted, Roberts said. Meigs County deputies arrested the student Friday just after midnight.
"We are confident that this is an isolated incident and that there is no current threat to our school community," Roberts said. "The sincere and brave actions of those who reported (the threat) allowed authorities the ability to act quickly to ensure the safety of our community."
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