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On Thursday evening, Elizabethton Police Department Chief Jason Shaw and Director of Elizabethton City Schools Richard VanHuss issued a joint statement addressing an incident that occurred during the investigation of overnight threats made via social media.

While investigators were at Elizabethton High School on Thursday conducting inquiries into a previous threat made against Happy Valley High School, a student approached them with new information. The student reported seeing a Snapchat message that stated, “It was me – I have said the school stuff.”

The investigation revealed that the student who made this claim had also shared a Facebook screenshot showing firearms from the original threat to Happy Valley High School. The student claimed not to know the owner of the post, but further investigation found that the message had been sent from a fictitious account, created by another Elizabethton High School student.

The juvenile behind the account admitted to taking a screenshot of the weapons from the Happy Valley threat and sharing it on Snapchat as a ‘joke.’ Though this message was not an additional threat, it caused further concern and alarm in the community.

After interviewing the student and obtaining evidence from the student’s phone, investigators consulted with the District Attorney’s office. The juvenile was charged with False Reporting (T.C.A. 39-16-502), a felony, and issued a summons to appear in Carter County Juvenile Court. Due to the student’s age, their name will not be released.

Chief Shaw and Director VanHuss reassured the community, stating that there are no known active threats to Elizabethton High School or any other schools in the Elizabethton City School system at this time.

Families, students, and faculty are encouraged to remain vigilant but are assured that school safety remains the top priority.