Student Who Threated Tuscaloosa Middle School Identified, Apprehended

Police and school officials have identified and apprehended the student they believe is responsible for a threatening phone call that sent two Tuscaloosa City schools into lockdown Tuesday afternoon.

In a press release distributed Wednesday, a TCS spokeswoman said Eastwood Middle School and Paul W. Bryant High School were both placed on lockdown Tuesday afternoon after an anonymous caller threatened the middle school.

Get our free mobile app

By Wednesday, police and school staff determined the caller was a student "making a prank."

Mike Daria, the superintendent of the Tuscaloosa City Schools system, said TCS will always give threats the response they deserve and thanked local police for helping school staff quickly secure both affected schools Tuesday.

Lydia Avant, the school system's director of public relations, said students at the middle school participated in a safety check Wednesday morning, and all students were told what caused the lockdown and how to report concerns and keep the school safe in the future.

"Many thanks to the Tuscaloosa Police Department and Central Support from The Tuscaloosa City Schools for an increased presence in on our campus," Principal Eric Hines said in the release. "Although we discovered this to have been a prank, the proper protocol was followed to keep everyone safe. We were able to bring a swift resolution to this incident with the help of faculty, staff, and students. It is important that we all continue to work to keep our campus and community safe. It's important to remember that if you See Something, Say Something."

Avant also said the student responsible for the call will not be identified because federal law restricts what information can be released about disciplinary action taken against juvenile students.

That should not be taken to mean the student will not face consequences, she said, the severity of which will be determined by the system's Code of Conduct.

For more coverage of the city and county school systems, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.