The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office reports someone made a false bomb threat against the Putnam County Courthouse Sunday afternoon (May 3, 2026). Shortly after 4pm Sunday, the Sheriff’s Office received information from Cookeville Police Department that a male had called a bomb threat at the Putnam County Courthouse.
The caller had claimed to have set bombs around the courthouse and stated he had armed individuals in the vicinity as well. He also demanded $10,000.
PCSO Deputies and Detectives immediately responded to the scene to secure the area. A search was conducted of the Old Courthouse, located at 300 E Spring St, and the Justice Center Courthouse located at 421 E Spring St. There were no signs of forced entry or any explosive devices discovered in or around either property.
After the threat was cleared, Detective Etheredge began investigating the phone number the threat had come from. He discovered that the same phone number has been used to call in similar threats to multiple jurisdictions in Florida, North Carolina, Georgia, and Iowa during the past month. Some jurisdictions have received repeated calls of this manner within days of each other.
This is an ongoing investigation.