CHURCH HILL, Tenn. (WJHL) — Third District Attorney General Dan Armstrong told News Channel 11 on Thursday that Tennessee prosecutors are waiting for Canadian authorities to announce charges for the Volunteer High swatting suspect before moving forward.
On Aug. 10, authorities received a call from someone claiming to be inside the school with a gun and intentions to shoot others.
The phone call was later determined to be a hoax known as swatting, which is when a caller phones in fake threats to authorities in an attempt to cause an armed response.
Less than a month later, a release from the Manitoba Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) revealed an 18-year-old was arrested after a joint investigation among Canadian authorities, the TBI, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security.
Armstrong told News Channel 11 on Thursday that the suspect may not be extradited to Tennessee depending on the seriousness of the charges he faces in Canada.
Sgt. Paul Manaigre of the RCMP Manitoba Division told News Channel 11 that the suspect is scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 7, 2021.
The suspect, whose identity cannot be released until he is formally charged, will be facing adult charges, Manaigre said. He said prosecutors in the province of Manitoba are determining the best charges for the suspect going forward.
The suspect was arrested at a home in the Fisher River Cree Nation. Manaigre told News Channel 11 that the suspect’s residency on the reserve will not affect the charges he could face.
According to Manaigre, the devices seized during the suspect’s arrest are being analyzed in relation to the swatting incidents at Volunteer High School and Watauga High School.
The suspect has been released from custody on court-ordered conditions ahead of his court date, according to Manaigre.
