We all know that being a teenager can be rough but long gone are the days of calling in threats to schools as "pranks" due to a stunning rise in school violence. It's becoming an almost daily occurrence to see and hear about a school shooting or some sort of violence in America's classrooms and the really sad thing about it is this fact: We've become desensitized to it all.

Smith County Sheriff's And The FBI Were Involved In This Case

According to a press release we received from the Smith County Sheriff's Office, On December 8, 2021, the FBI National Threat Operations Center (NTOC) received an anonymous tip concerning the threat of a school shooting at an unknown date and time in the Tyler, Smith County area. This information was assigned to the FBI Tyler Division as well as Investigators with the Smith County Sheriff’s Office. The investigation into the threat began that same morning.

A Smith County Investigator and two FBI agents responded to Winona High School where they met with school administrators.

They were able to identify the suspect as 17-year-old Tyler Auston Tate, a 10th grade student at Winona High School. Evidence was gathered, including documentation of credible threats of death and/or serious bodily injury to individual students at the high school.

Tate was immediately arrested and transported to the Smith County Jail

After obtaining an warrant, Smith County Investigators and Deputies responded to Tyler Tate’s place of employment on Hwy 271 North in Smith County. He was booked on the charge of a Terroristic Threat, a Third Degree Felony with his bond set at $1 million dollars. Tyler Tate remains incarcerated at this time.