August 25, 2023
By: Dwayne Page
A sigh of relief!
The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department is now reporting that a school shooting threat, phoned in to a local Dollar General Store Thursday evening, has been determined to have been a hoax committed by two North Carolina teen boys (ages 14 & 15) who were using a cell phone to make random prank calls. The boys apparently had no connection to DeKalb County and made calls to several other places in Tennessee.
According to Chief Deputy Brian Williams, the call to the Dollar General Store on Short Mountain Highway was traced to a phone in Kernersville, North Carolina. The caller asked the clerk if the store carried cap guns (toy guns), stating that he was planning to carry out a mass school shooting. The store reported the call to central dispatch who then contacted the Sheriff’s Department. Other agencies were also notified including Homeland Security. Authorities in Kernersville, North Carolina were alerted as well, and they made contact with the teens and their parents. The boys allegedly admitted to making the prank call together. Although the kids were apparently not taken into custody at the time, the incident remains under investigation.
After learning of the threat Thursday evening, the local school district and law enforcement officers sent a notice to parents that extra safety precautions would be taken at the schools on Friday.
Director Cripps’ entire statement to parents was as follows:
“Late in the evening on August 24, the administration of DeKalb County Schools was contacted by the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department concerning a potential shooting at one of the schools. The call originated out of state and no school was identified as being a potential target.”
“We would like to remind all citizens of DeKalb County that the safety of our students is our utmost concern, and we will continue to be proactive in ensuring all students remain safe. Local law enforcement is currently working with Homeland Security to identify the caller who is believed to be out of state. Additional security measures will be taken by state and local law enforcement throughout the school day”, said Director Cripps.