NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – A U.S. congressman from Tennessee has introduced a bill to crack down on swatting.

Rep. David Kustoff (R, TN-8) introduced the “Preserving Safe Communities by Ending Swatting Act,” which would strengthen federal penalties for swatting.

The measure says, “This bill makes it a crime to intentionally convey false or misleading information in circumstances where the information may reasonably be expected to cause an emergency response and the information indicates the occurrence of criminal conduct or a threat to health or safety (commonly referred to as swatting).”

This comes after more than half a dozen schools in Tennessee were all placed on lockdown this week after hoax school threats.

Here’s which TN schools were impacted by ‘hoax’ threats, and what to know about the swatting investigations

What is swatting?

According to the FBI, swatting is when a person calls 911 and fakes an emergency that draws a response from law enforcement — usually a SWAT team.

The calls can put first responders and victims in dangerous situations, the FBI said, as the callers often report tales of hostages about to be executed or bombs about to go off.

“The community is placed in danger as responders rush to the scene, taking them away from real emergencies,” the FBI said. “And the officers are placed in danger as unsuspecting residents may try to defend themselves.”

While the FBI does not have a publicly recorded number of swatting calls that have been made year over year in the U.S., the National Association of Attorneys General says swatting threats have escalated across the U.S. Because of this, several states have taken targeted action to criminalize these calls, including Kentucky, which in 2022 approved a bill that would increase penalties for falsely reporting emergencies and allow courts to order restitution to affected agencies or individuals.

According to the FBI’s 2023 Year in Review report, it launched the National Common Operating Picture database to track swatting events. The agency reported more than 300 incidents between May and September of 2023.

The K-12 School Shooting Database recorded swatting incidents at U.S. schools from 2023 to 2024. The highest number of reported incidents occurred in March 2023, with 210. The second-most was 148 in February 2023.

Recent swatting incidents in Tennessee

On Tuesday, a flurry of swatting incidents caused several schools in Middle Tennessee to be put on lockdown and lockout, drawing responses from several law enforcement agencies and disrupting students’ education.

In April, the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a threat made against a student at Independence High School.

The school was placed on a brief lockdown as the sheriff’s office investigated the threat.

The sheriff’s office later determined that the call was actually a swatting incident and was likely made from out-of-state.

A spokesperson for Williamson County Schools said some similar false threat calls were made to other schools in the area as well.

The investigation into that incident is ongoing.

Earlier this year, an East Tennessee teen was arrested for allegedly making four swatting calls to the McMinnville Police Department. The caller reported that a person had been shot and another was being held hostage.

The 17-year-old Maryville boy admitted to being angry at another teen staying at a McMinnville home and paying someone to call false emergencies and being present when the calls were made.

The Associated Press reported in 2025 about a wave of swatting calls at multiple college campuses in August.

One of the first incidents in this wave occurred in Tennessee at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga when authorities received false calls reporting an active shooter with an AR-15-style rifle and four people shot.

The AP reported that dispatchers reported hearing multiple gunshots on the calls.

Ways to protect yourself from swatters

The FBI shared measures you can take to protect yourself from swatters, including:

• Review your online presence for sensitive personal information that could enable malicious actors to conduct a swatting attack.
• Exercise care when posting content (including photos and videos) or sharing it with individuals online. Although seemingly innocuous, images and videos can be exploited or manipulated by malicious actors for criminal activity.
• Consider online resources and services that may aid in reducing or removing sensitive publicly available information.
• Use strong, unique passwords and multi-factor authentication on all devices and accounts, including smart home devices.
• Discuss swatting with your family members or colleagues and have a plan in place in the event of law enforcement contact at your residence, business, or other location.

WKRN is provided by Nexstar Media Group, Inc., and uses the My Nexstar sign-in, which works across our media network.

Learn more at nexstar.tv/privacy-policy.

WKRN is provided by Nexstar Media Group, Inc., and uses the My Nexstar sign-in, which works across our media network.

Nexstar Media Group, Inc. is a leading, diversified media company that produces and distributes engaging local and national news, sports, and entertainment content across its television and digital platforms. The My Nexstar sign-in works across the Nexstar network—including The CW, NewsNation, The Hill, and more. Learn more at nexstar.tv/privacy-policy.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Tennessee environmental officials and electric transportation partners have released an updated roadmap for the state’s electric vehicle future.

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation’s Office of Energy Programs and Drive Electric Tennessee released the 2026 Roadmap for Electric Vehicles in Tennessee, which builds on the state’s original EV strategy from 2019.

The updated plan lays out priorities for the next decade, including a goal to support the deployment of 750,000 light-duty electric vehicles in Tennessee by 2035.

The roadmap also addresses medium- and heavy-duty vehicle electrification, charging infrastructure, battery recycling, second-life battery use, bi-directional charging and smart charge management technologies.

State officials said Tennessee’s EV landscape has changed in recent years because of growing consumer interest, manufacturing investment, expanded charging infrastructure and federal, state, utility and local programs.

Since the original roadmap was released, Drive Electric Tennessee and its partners have completed more than 40 EV-related projects. Those efforts have included assessing charging needs, connecting fleet operators with EV options, hosting demonstrations and developing best practices for local policy.

TDEC said Tennessee’s automotive manufacturing base and EV supply chain could help the state benefit economically from transportation electrification through job creation and private investment.

Officials also said EV adoption could help reduce transportation costs for households and fleets, improve air quality and support energy independence by using locally produced electricity as a transportation fuel.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the transportation sector made up 46.1% of Tennessee’s total energy consumption in 2023, making it the state’s largest energy-consuming end-use sector.

For additional information on transportation electrification in Tennessee, visit the TDEC website.