BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Shelby County woman is one of two people charged after federal authorities said she admitted to exchanging online messages discussing plans for a violent attack at a school.
Katherine Joiner, of Wilsonville, and Ethan Bassett, of Glen, Miss., are charged with transmitting threatening communications in interstate commerce, according to an affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Mississippi.
The FBI became aware of concerning Instagram messages exchanged between two users on Monday, May 18, according to court documents. Agents subsequently submitted an emergency disclosure request to Meta Platforms Inc., Instagram’s parent company.
According to the affidavit, the messages included discussions about self-harm and harming others, including references to a potential school shooting. Investigators said the conversations involved targeting a small school with little to no security or another public venue with minimal police presence or security measures.
The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office confirmed it assisted in the investigation.
