Two sixth grade students were charged on Friday after their plot to bring weapons to school to shoot students and faculty was discovered in Crossville.
The school resource officer for South Cumberland Elementary uncovered a rumor of the possible existence of a “hit list” containing students to be shot in a future school shooting. Immediate steps were taken to ensure the safety of all students and the newly-formed Crossville/Cumberland County District Threat Assessment Task Force, a multi-jurisdictional team, was contacted and began to assist in the investigation, working closely with the school administration and school resource officer.
Director Janet Graham said, “Our first and most important responsibility is to ensure the safety of our students and staff. It was determined that at no time during the investigation students or staff were believed to be in any immediate danger.”
The investigation did not turn up a “hit list” but it did find a hand-drawn map of the school and a plot between the two sixth grade students to bring weapons, hide them in the locker room and on the last day of school enter through the back door, shoot faculty and students then commit suicide before law enforcement intervention. The investigation revealed multiple conversations between the students in the past two weeks in preparing the plot.
Investigators from the Sheriff’s Special Investigation Unit assisted in the search of both student’s homes for weapons and/or other evidence relating to the plot with no weapons being found in either home. Parents of both students were very cooperative in assisting the school administration and law enforcement.
Both students were arrested and transported by Cumberland County deputies to the Cumberland County Juvenile Detention Facility where they were charged with conspiracy to commit murder. The students remain in custody awaiting a hearing in juvenile court.
Sheriff Casey Cox said, “We take any threat to students and school faculty very seriously and we will respond, investigate and take swift appropriate action to manage each threat.” Chief Brooks said, “The best way to manage threats is through all agencies working together in unity.”