NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Following the deadly shooting at Antioch High School last week, districts across Middle Tennessee have been on high alert when it comes to potential threats.
"It's causing people to be more aware and cautious," Cheatham County school resource officer, lieutenant Gene McCollum, said.
Since last Wednesday, school resource officers in Cheatham County have responded to four different concerning incidents, not considered threats, and over 25 messages and calls through their tipline. Authorities said this is expected whenever large acts of violence take place.
"We've had them more on the south side of the county, down in the Kingston Springs area and we've had some over in Pleasant View," McCollum added. "We've had a lot where kids will get upset and say stuff off the cuff and make some type of threat towards peers or to the schools because of anger for whatever reason. That has big implications because [under] the new law, it's a felony offence to make threats of mass violence."
Cheatham County Schools is not the only system dealing with the uptick. Officials with the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System told News 2 they've investigated three threats since Wednesday. In Wilson County Monday, students were placed on "soft lockdowns" following online threats.
In Metro Nashville Public Schools, several students have been arrested for making threats in the days following the deadly shooting. One of the latest arrests included a 14-year-old student at John F. Kennedy Middle School who allegedly told students he would bring a gun to school Wednesday, according to the Metro Nashville Police Department.
Even if it's just a call for concern, Cheatham County authorities said they would still take them seriously.
"We're going to do everything in our power to make sure something like that does not happen in our county," McCollum said. "I'd rather get 100 tips come in and be busy and it not be anything than to not receive anything and something does happen."