Dr. Marie N. Feagins, Superintendent of Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS), held a press conference this afternoon to address a series of threats that led to district-wide lockdowns earlier in the day.
Joined by Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner and Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis, the officials provided updates on the ongoing investigation and the safety measures enacted across the district.
The incidents began at approximately 7:19 a.m. when Southwind High School received a threatening phone call. Shortly after, similar threats surfaced on social media, leading to a precautionary lockdown of several schools across the district. Dr. Feagins emphasized that while many of these threats appeared to be reposts of the initial message, MSCS treats all threats with the utmost seriousness.
“We believe these posts were reshared from the original threat, but we immediately activated lockdown procedures across all campuses as a precaution,” Dr. Feagins said.
Law enforcement agencies, including the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department, Memphis Police Department, the FBI, and Homeland Security, quickly mobilized to investigate the threats. Sheriff Floyd Bonner confirmed that three individuals were detained in connection with a separate threat made to Whitehaven High School, but stressed that the investigation is still in its early stages.
“While we have detained three individuals, we have not yet identified the person or persons responsible for the original threat against Southwind High School,” Bonner said.
Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis praised the swift response and collaboration among law enforcement agencies, noting that the viral spread of social media posts had caused unnecessary panic. She urged the community to refrain from sharing unverified information that could exacerbate the situation.
The press conference also touched on the emotional impact of these events and reassured families that mental health professionals and additional resources were being deployed to offer support.
“Trauma is real, it is exhausting, this is emotionally depleting,” she said. “It is one thing to know that you are okay physically; it is another thing to get to a resting place and realize that you have really just gone through a whirlwind of emotions.”
In light of the ongoing investigation, all after-school activities were canceled for the day. Dr. Feagins assured parents that any updates regarding the situation would be communicated promptly.
“School remains the safest place for our students during incidents like these,” Feagins said. “We ask families to trust the lockdown protocols and allow law enforcement to manage the situation.”
