Several teenagers arrested in connection with threats at school and weapons found on campus

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – Several students are facing serious charges after a frightening week on Mid-South school campuses.

On Wednesday, thousands of students were placed into a soft lockdown due to a series of online threats of mass violence.

There were more arrests for weapons on campus on Friday.

A total of three teenagers have now been charged in connection with a series of threats of violence at MSCS this week.

In addition, two other teenagers were charged on Friday for bringing weapons onto campus.

Memphis police announced that of the five students arrested, a 15-year-old boy was charged in connection with making threats at Whitehaven High School and a 16-year-old boy was arrested and charged in connection with making threats at Cordova High School.

A third suspect, a 15-year-old from Nashville, was arrested by Shelby County Sheriff's officials in connection with the first threat at Southwind High School on Wednesday.

Thanks to a new law passed this year, all of these teens are now facing serious charges.

“All of our schools must be a haven of safety, especially for our young people,” said Tennessee State Senator Mark White.

White was one of the sponsors of the original 2021 bill that increased penalties for uttering a threat of violence at a school to a Class A misdemeanor for the first time.

In 2024, lawmakers passed a bill that increased penalties and made such threats a Class E felony punishable by up to 6 years in prison.

“If we enforced the existing laws, if our judges would enforce the laws, if we arrested the person and said, 'Here is the law and here is your punishment,' then I think the next people might think twice,” White said.

On Friday morning, deputies were back at Southwind High School.

The newly installed metal detectors are said to have caught a 16-year-old who had a single bullet and fireworks in his backpack.

“I was literally ashamed because I kept thinking about what it would have been like if those fireworks had been set off at the school. It would have been a very chaotic event, especially after all the threats we had been dealing with all week. It would have caused a panic like no other,” said Anthony Buckner, Chief Deputy of the Shelby County Sheriff's Office.

Officers also arrested a 13-year-old student who was caught with an airsoft gun at Highland Oaks Middle School on Friday morning.

Buckner says the orange safety cap was removed, making the toy gun look very real to school staff and security officers who found it after asking the student to remove his coat.

All of these students are currently being held at the Shelby County Juvenile Justice and Education Center.

Action News 5 has reached out to Memphis-Shelby County Schools for comment on the arrests made Friday morning on their school campuses, but has not received a response.

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