A suspect has been taken into custody due to a threat of mass violence made on social media towards Cookeville High School. A student who attends Monterey High School went to the SRO Deputies and the Principal of MHS and said he saw a threat on social media saying, there is going to be a school shooting at CHS and to not come to school. The SRO-Deputies at Cookeville High School were able to immediately apprehend the suspect and take him into custody, and after consultation with the District Attorney’s Office, it was decided that the student would be charged. The school was not placed on a lockdown.

Sheriff Farris would like to commend not only our SRO-Deputies for running to the threat to detain the student, and eventually arresting the student, but he would also like to commend the student at MHS for bringing it to the authorities. The suspect was charged with T.C.A 39-16-517 threat of mass violence on a school property and is currently being detained in the Putnam County Jail.

Sheriff Farris would HIGHLY URGE PARENTS to have a conversation with their school-age children about the seriousness of sharing threatening posts and discussing any type of violence related to school or school events. Making threats of violence against a school is a class E felony offense.