Authorities have identified the author of the note, and stress that no students were in immediate danger
Red Bay | A note that was deemed to be threatening, written on the casing of a school laptop computer, led to a soft lockdown of Red Bay High School last Wednesday afternoon and continued Thursday as the Red Bay Police Department investigated the incident.
A student at the school has since been identified as the author of the note and removed from the school. School officials and Red Bay Police stressed that at no point were any students in particular danger.
Red Bay Police Chief Janna Jackson said the department was notified at 12:59 p.m. Two officers from the Red Bay Police Department, a Franklin County Sheriff’s deputy and the Franklin County Schools Resource Officer immediately responded to the call.
“The school went on a soft lockdown,” Jackson said. “It was just precautionary. Teachers kept doors locked and classes went on as usual.”
Jackson said the message was a broad statement and not directed at an individual student or group of students.
Franklin County Schools Superintendent Greg Hamilton, who was at the school Wednesday, said once the school system was notified of the situation a message was posted to the system’s Facebook page so parents would know their children were safe.
“We take all threats as credible until we’ve had an opportunity to investigate them,” Hamilton said. “We were on heightened awareness. You carry on as usual but law enforcement was on the scene.”
Hamilton said Wednesday’s response went exactly as he hoped it would.
“I appreciate the hard work of our SRO and the law enforcement officers from the sheriffs department and the City of Red Bay in response to the school threat,” Hamilton said. “The administration at Red Bay followed proper emergency safety procedures.”
