The Yancey County School System sent the following message at 8:45am, 4/22/26:
Dear Yancey County Schools Parents, Notes were discovered this morning at East Yancey Middle School stating “I have a bomb.” We followed safety procedures and evacuated students as the building was searched. In the meantime, the Yancey County Sheriff’s Office has located two possible suspects. The investigation is ongoing, however, at this time we feel as if this incident is a hoax. We will be returning students to East Yancey Middle School and resuming the school day.
The Following Message was sent at 11:35am, 4/22/26:
Good morning Yancey County Schools Families, A building sweep was conducted at East Yancey Middle School this morning and there were no substantiated threats located. We will continue to cooperate with local law enforcement as the investigation continues. We would like to thank Sheriff Shane Hilliard, all of his deputies, principal William Byland and the faculty and staff at East Yancey for their quick response. Parents, we thank you for talking with your children about the seriousness of a hoax or prank and the consequences that follow. Thank you again for having these important conversations with your children. We will continue on with our afternoon schedule throughout the school district. Thank you and have a good day.