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An anonymous threat on social media against a Middle Tennessee school has ended in one arrest.
Mary Lawrence, 18, was arrested on Wednesday (November 17) in connection to reports of an anonymous threat against Green Hill High School in Mt. Juliet. The threat, which was made in a post on YikYak on November 11, indicated there would be a shooting at the school the following day, WKRN reports.
Jason Lawson, District Attorney General for Wilson County, said his office takes anonymous threats seriously and they have a "zero tolerance policy."
"People are wrong in their belief that when they post anonymously that law enforcement cannot determine who made the post," said Lawson. "While the post may be anonymous to the others on the site, law enforcement has the mechanisms to determine who made the post, and we will utilize those mechanisms and charge the person responsible."
According to the news outlet, Lawrence was charged with making an anonymous threat on social media against the school. It is unclear what her connection is, if any, to the school. Several agencies — including the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the Wilson County Sheriff's Office, Mt. Juliet Police and the FBI — assisted in the investigation.
"I am really impressed by the level of cooperation between the local, state, and federal government in this investigation, and with the speed in which the investigation was conducted," Lawson continued. "It is important that people see that they will be held accountable for actions such as these."
This is the latest incident in a string of reported threats against a Middle Tennessee school. Schools in Sumner and Williamson County have also been the subject of threats made online, leading to an increased police presence out of an abundance of caution.