Our protocols worked well in this situation all because a student spoke to an adult about what was heard. Together, we were able to identify the suspect, work with law enforcement to apprehend the individual, and have a successful, safe school day because of the work done throughout the night and early morning. Every day we are able to get students safely to school, keep them safe throughout the day, and get them back home safely is a great school day.”

Superintendent Christie Holly

The Tishomingo County School District responded to a rumored threat that was brought to the district’s attention by a parent late Wednesday night, September 4th, concerning Tishomingo County High School. The district contacted local authorities and state officials as the investigation continued into early morning hours on September 5th with the suspect being taken into custody before school began.

The TCSD Campus Police Department, Tishomingo County Sheriff’s Department, and the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation worked together to bring the suspect, who is not a current student of the district, into custody.

“I want to thank the parent who told a district employee about a rumor her student had heard outside of school involving a possible threat to safety to the campus of TCHS. That tip put our district protocols into motion, and we are thankful that our local and state authorities were able to quickly respond and apprehend the individual who made the statements. At that time, officials felt the threat had been contained, and students and staff were safe,” Superintendent Christie Holly reported.

The district is constantly seeking ways to enhance current safety features and proactively respond to possible issues.

By law, schools must conduct intruder/active shooter drills within the first 60 days of school each semester. Schools conduct these drills to make sure staff and students know what to do if an intruder situation were to occur. Also, each school has its own armed school resource officer. Other protocols include keeping doors locked throughout the school and using camera systems for surveillance. Entrances to schools have undergone various safety upgrades including buzz-in systems, enclosed entryways, and card entries.

While the district continues to invest in safety systems, one of the best resources is simply following the “see or hear something, say something” protocol.

“Our students hear and see more than we as staff usually do. We need our students to always report anything suspicious to an adult. Whether they hear it at school or away from school, if it involves student or staff safety, we want to know about it so we can respond to it accordingly,” stated Holly. “Our protocols worked well in this situation all because a student spoke to an adult about what was heard. Together, we were able to identify the suspect, work with law enforcement to apprehend the individual, and have a successful, safe school day because of the work done throughout the night and early morning. Every day we are able to get students safely to school, keep them safe throughout the day, and get them back home safely is a great school day.”