MORGAN COUNTY DEPUTIES RESPOND TO ASSAULT AT WARTBURG MIDDLE SCHOOL
On November 18, 2025, at approximately 1:10 p.m., an assault occurred at Wartburg Middle School in Morgan County involving two students. The victim sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to a hospital for treatment.
The perpetrator fled the scene but was located and taken into custody without incident after a several-hour search. The juvenile suspect will be transported to a detention facility while the investigation continues.
Thanks to close coordination between the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office, school administrators, Emergency Management Agency, and the Morgan County Correctional Complex Tracking Team, students were dismissed on time and the situation was resolved safely.
The Sheriff’s Office expressed gratitude to all involved agencies and asked anyone with additional information to contact them at 423-346-6262.
From District attorney Russell Johnson:
Our office appreciates the work of the Morgan County Sheriff’s Department and all other agencies, including the Morgan County Schools, Morgan County EMS, the state HSI agent assigned to Morgan County, and others that responded to address the situation at the middle school in Wartburg yesterday involving two female students who are obviously juveniles.
It is our understanding that the situation was isolated to the two students with one being the aggressor and one being the victim. We are relieved that the young victim, who was transported to a medical facility, has non-life-threatening injuries, but our thoughts and prayers are with her and her family, and any fellow students that were witnesses to the incident.We are also thankful that authorities were able after a several hours-long search to locate the suspect student who had fled from the scene after the assault.The alleged suspect student has been taken into custody on a juvenile petition and Morgan County Juvenile Court Judge Anthony Rogers has ordered her to be temporarily detained pending a further hearing on Thursday. The delinquent petition charges an aggravated assault. The juvenile is 11 years of age. Therefore, the hearing on Thursday will be closed to the media and to the public.
