Two juveniles arrested after false report

The Anderson County Sheriff’s Office says that two juveniles—identified only as middle school-aged males—were arrested Tuesday after allegedly making a false report that a man with a gun was inside Norris Elementary School.

The school was placed on lockdown and Sheriff’s deputies and Norris Police officers responded to the scene and investigated, determining that the report was a hoax. While that was going on, Norris Middle School and Anderson County High School were also placed on lockdown as an “additional precautionary measure,” according to an ACSO social media post.

After clearing the school and determining there was no threat, investigators were able to track down the juveniles who allegedly made the false report and took them into custody. Both were taken to the Richard L. Bean Juvenile Detention Facility in Knox County and will have their cases adjudicated in Juvenile Court.

Responding to inquiries Wednesday morning, the ACSO said that outside of their approximate ages and genders, no other information about the suspects or the incident is being released at this time.

“The Anderson County Sheriff’s Office and Norris Police Department played a commendable role in the case, heightening our trust and confidence in law enforcement personnel’s ability to protect us, even amid external threats.” said Chief Mike Poole of the Norris Police Department in the post.

Sheriff Russell Barker added, “We are grateful for the Deputies and Officers prompt response in averting any potential danger posed by the incident.”

Both Chief Poole and Sheriff Barker commended the response and actions of the school staff at all of the affected locations.