WINONA, Texas — An East Texas teen is behind bars after officials say he made credible threats of violence at a local high school.
According to the Smith County Sheriff's Office, on Wednesday, the FBI National Threat Operations Center (NTOC) received an anonymous tip concerning the threat of a school shooting at an unknown date and time in the Smith County area. This information was assigned to the FBI Tyler Division as well as investigators with the Smith County Sheriff’s Office.
From there, Smith County Sheriff Larry Smith says law enforcement "immediately began working on the investigation." Working alongside two agents, led them to the suspect.
EDITOR'S NOTE: CBS19 has chosen not to identify the student or display his mugshot due to him being a minor.
The suspect has been arrested and booked into the Smith County Jail on a third-degree felony charge of terroristic threat.
Smith says any potential threat towards anyone will always be taken seriously; "If you don't mean it, don't say it." He says they're working on notifying the parents of the people who were potential targets.
Winona ISD Superintendent Damenion Miller released the following statement regarding the arrest:
This week a Winona ISD Student was arrested for threats made against the high school campus. Winona ISD has worked together with law enforcement to ensure the safety of Winona ISD teachers, staff, and students. Safety is the number one priority for Winona ISD. Because Federal law and District policy mandate confidentiality of student matters, the District cannot provide further comment regarding the situation, nor the ongoing investigation.
However, Winona ISD takes all threats seriously and will take all necessary steps to keep its students and staff safe. I want to give a special thanks to WISD Police Chief Arteaga, Smith County Sheriff’s Office, FBI Tyler Division, and the FBI National Threat Operations Center for their work in this investigation, and their vigilance and dedication to keeping our community safe. We are forever grateful to these true heroes that support us each and every day.