On April 29, 2023, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office was alerted to a potential threat of mass violence from the Knoxville Division of The Federal Bureau of Investigation on a tip they received. The juvenile distributed the threat via Snapchat and was targeting the Hardin Valley Prom.

Patrol Officers, along with Juvenile Crimes Detectives, located the juvenile just before 8:00 pm Saturday evening. The juvenile was charged with the threat of mass violence and is being held at the Richard L. Bean Juvenile Detention Center.

Knox County Sheriff, Tom Spangler stated, “I want to make it clear to anyone who might think these types of threats are a joke or are funny- they are not!  Any threat against any of our schools, the children, or the staff will be taken seriously. I am urging parents/guardians to candidly talk with their children about the seriousness of making a threat. We cannot downplay the potential severity of these types of crimes. The safety of our children and the staff in our school system is paramount. I appreciate the swift response by everyone upon being notified of this threat. I’m incredibly thankful for the tireless efforts of our Patrol Officers and Juvenile Detectives. Thank you to the Knoxville Division of The Federal Bureau of Investigation for their assistance.”