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By Buzz Trexler

Star Correspondent

Area law enforcement agencies and school systems are working hard to assure parents they are on top of recent online threats.

The Elizabethton City Schools system posted Thursday morning on social media that school officials were aware of online postings Wednesday night suggesting threats to area schools, including Elizabethton High School. “At this time, there is currently no credible threat to any of the ECS campuses, as the threat originated from outside of our state,” the system posted on its Facebook account. “We have been and will continue to be in constant communication with the Elizabethton Police Department and will continue to monitor this situation diligently. Out of an abundance of caution, the EPD has committed to having an elevated police presence onsite at our campuses for added security today.”

The system said if the situation changes and further security actions are required, parents will be notified via school messenger calls from either the district or the child’s school.

The Carter County Sheriff’s Office and Elizabethton Police Department have each issued statements online and elsewhere saying they were aware of the posts using the “YOURNEXT” social media account. A social media post on Instagram featured a photo of guns with the caption, “Happy Valley High School. You’re next,” prompting immediate concern. 

“The safety and security of our schools is of the utmost importance to us and we take threats seriously,” Elizabethton Police Chief Jason Shaw said in a social media post. “We appreciate the passing of information and those that saw something said something and took action to report this threat.”

“Our officers and investigators have partnered with the Elizabethton Police Department as well as state and federal authorities and worked through the night investigating this potential threat,” the sheriff’s office said. The emailed statement said no local connection had been found and the post containing the threat originated from an out-of-state IP address and had a 2-year-old photo that had been used in prior social media posts circulating on the Internet.

“At this time, there is no credible threat to any of the schools in Carter County,” the statement said. “But, as with any potential threat to the safety and security of our schools, the Carter County Sheriff’s Office is taking this incident seriously and the investigation into this incident is continuing. The safety of our students and school staff is our highest priority.”

Those who are aware of a threat to student or school safety, or any other crime, can submit tips anonymously online at: www.sheriff.cc/home/contact-us/crime-tip.