Two students at a Crossville, Tennessee, elementary school are facing charges after being accused of plotting a shooting, authorities said.
WSMV reported that, according to a joint news release from the Cumberland County School District, the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office, and Crossville Police Department, investigators found a hand-drawn map of the school and a plan between two sixth graders.
"The School Resource Officer for South Cumberland Elementary uncovered a rumor of the possible existence of a 'hit list" containing students to be shot in a future school shooting," authorities said in a statement. "Immediate steps were taken to ensure the safety of all students and the newly formed Crossville/Cumberland County District Threat Assessment Task Force, a multi-jurisdictional team, was contacted and began to assist in the investigation, working closely with the school administration and School Resource Officer."
WTVF reported that the investigators found out that the students planned to bring being weapons to school, hide them in the locker room and shoot faculty and students by entering through a back door in the school. They planned on turning the weapons on them selves before being arrested by authorities.
"The investigation revealed multiple conversations between the students in the past two weeks in preparing the plot," the news release said. "Investigators from the Sheriff's Special Investigation Unit assisted in the search of both student's homes for weapons and/or other evidence relating to the plot with no weapons being found in either home."
Authorities said the parents of both students were cooperative in the investigation.
The students were arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit murder, officials said. They are in custody at Cumberland County Juvenile Detention Facility as they await a hearing in juvenile court.
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