Teen Arrested for Threatening Schools,
Authorities Taking School Threats Very Seriously
by Chris Tramel
The local school system and the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department dealt with a couple of threats to area schools last week with two separate incidents that have resulted in one local man arrested and a couple of out-of-state teens in big trouble. Local authorities are reiterating that threats made to local schools, no matter if they are made in jest or in anger, will be taken seriously and fully prosecuted.
On Thursday, August 24, a Liberty teen was arrested after the DCHS student was found with text messages that threatened to carry out a school shooting. According to Sheriff Patrick Ray, 18-year-old Austin Ray Light of Maynard Road, Liberty, was charged with reckless threaten act of mass violence-school property/activity. Light is under a $5,000 bond and his General Sessions Court date is September 9.
According to Sheriff Ray, “Late Thursday night, law enforcement received an anonymous tip about a student at DeKalb County High School having messages on a telephone possibly related to violence. Immediately the Chief Deputy and a detective with the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office worked throughout the night to investigate the threats.”
“On Friday morning, law enforcement officials arrested Light. Throughout the investigation law enforcement officials found messages in the phone belonging to Light talking about shooting someone due to him being upset over a test,” Sheriff Ray said.
The arrest warrant states that “On or about the 24th day of August, 2023, Austin Ray Light did make a threat of violence while on the property of DeKalb County High School. Light did use text communication stating ‘I am gonna kill someone, the only reason I showed up today was to do the test, and it was pushed back to tomorrow.’” Light allegedly did admit to making these threats.
The arrest was unrelated to a similar incident that occurred Thursday evening when sheriff’s officials reported a school shooting threat that was phoned in to a local Dollar General Store.
Sheriff Ray reported that the call was 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 children had no connection to DeKalb County and were randomly calling other places in Tennessee.
Sheriff’s officials say the call was traced to a phone in Kernersville, North Carolina. During the incident, 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 immediately reported the call to E-911 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. Sheriff Ray reported it remains to be seen how the teens will be charged in the crime.
The DeKalb School District sent a notice to parents notifying them that extra safety precautions would be taken at the schools that Friday.
DeKalb School Director Patrick Cripps said in a statement to parents, “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.”
Sheriff Ray said that he again urges parents to talk to their children about the issue and to remind them that there is a zero-tolerance policy in place for any threats to the school, whether meant as a joke or not.
