ATHENS-Athens Police Chief Anthony Pressnell said the department arrested a 10-year-old Athens Intermediate School
student today for making a terrorist threat on Friday, September 13.
Pressnell said the fifth grader was arrested at his home.
“We were notified around 11 a.m. that a student was texting threats to students at Athens Middle School,”
Pressnell said. “Working with school officials, we quickly identified the student, who was not a school today. We
arrested the student at his home.”
Pressnell said the student’s father talked to him Thursday night about not getting involved in sharing or
discussing through social media these type of threats like what are occurring in Alabama and elsewhere in the
nation.
“Our department takes any threat seriously,” Pressnell said. “Students need to realize there are consequences
for making such threats.”
Athens City Schools released a statement asking parents to take the time this weekend to reinforce to their
children that Athens City Schools takes all threats seriously and “will not tolerate any sort of threat.”
The school system said in its statement that numerous threats have been shared this week through social
media. Most of these threats originated in other states, but they continue to fuel fear in Athens students as they
are shared over and over.
“Again, please remind your children not to share threats on social media, and to report them to an administrator
or the superintendent,” the school statement said. “We are thankful for the students and parents who have
reported potential threats.”
Pressnell commended the school resource officers, school staff and his department for reacting quickly.
“I appreciate the working relationship we have so that we can act swiftly,” he said.
