HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Amid an ongoing search for a teen missing from Sumner County, some people appeared to encounter issues with an AMBER Alert that was sent out to help find him.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) originally issued an Endangered Child Alert for 15-year-old Sebastian Wayne Drake Rogers after he was reported missing on Monday, Feb. 26 from the Beech area in Hendersonville.
However, the alert level was upgraded to an AMBER Alert on Tuesday, Feb. 27 as the urgency of the search continued to increase. After receiving the initial alert around 3 p.m. that evening, several people continued to receive alerts into Wednesday afternoon.
Some people reported receiving up to six alerts within that time span. According to the TBI, there was only one AMBER Alert issued, but a "provider issue" likely caused some people to receive multiple alerts.
The TBI coordinates with the National Center for Missing and Endangered Children to send out alerts when a missing child is potentially in danger, with a spokesperson for the TBI telling News 2, "Cell phone alerts are meant to be one of the many ways we share information about these types of critical situations."
Still, some Tennesseans also reported having trouble accessing a web address in the alert that was meant to link back to the TBI's Facebook page in order to give people a description and photo of the missing teen.
According to the TBI, authorities have discussed options to handle an influx of web traffic amid AMBER Alerts, and at this time, Facebook remains the best option.
"Non-users are able to view public posts without having an active Facebook profile," a spokesperson for the TBI said. "We are constantly reviewing other methods available, and while Facebook may not be a convenient option for everyone, it's meant to augment the other notification tools we have available to us."
Smart phone users can also download the MyTN app to receive information. As of Thursday morning, Sebastian Rogers was still missing. A massive search has been underway since Monday. Click here for more coverage of Sebastian Rogers.
Sebastian Wayne Drake Rogers, 15, was reported missing on Monday, Feb. 26 from the Beech area in Hendersonville.
Sebastian Rogers: Description
Sebastian is 5 feet, 5 inches tall, 120 pounds with dirty blond hair. He was last seen on Monday, Feb. 26 near Stafford Court wearing a black sweatshirt and black sweatpants, said the TBI.
AMBER Alert Issued
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) originally issued an Endangered Child Alert for Sebastian on the morning of Feb. 26 as multiple agencies took to the area to look for him.
Based on additional investigative information developed during the search, the TBI issued an AMBER Alert for Sebastian on the afternoon of Feb. 27. An AMBER Alert is issued when there is reasonable belief by law enforcement that an abduction has occurred and the child is in imminent danger of serious bodily injury or death, per the DOJ.
Multiple agencies including the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Nashville Fire Department, City of Hendersonville’s first responders, Sumner County Sheriff’s Office and Shackle Island Volunteer Fire have assisted in the search for Sebastian.
Who to Contact
If you have seen Sebastian or have info about his whereabouts, call the Sumner County Sheriff's Office at (615) 451-3838 or TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND.
from WKRN News 2 https://ift.tt/TpZyLrY
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