KINGSPORT, TN — Multiple people were stabbed Friday evening on Interstate 26 in Kingsport, according to the Kingsport Police Department. Officers were called to the 2300 block of Idle Hour Road around 6:30 p.m. after reports that several people had been stabbed on the interstate.

Police said multiple people were detained in connection with the incident. Authorities also said there was no threat to the public after the response, though they did not immediately release details about the number of victims or the circumstances that led to the stabbing.

Police respond to reports near Idle Hour Road

The response centered on the 2300 block of Idle Hour Road, which runs near the stretch of I-26 where the stabbing was reported. Kingsport police said officers were dispatched after receiving the call about multiple people being injured.

At this stage, officials have not publicly described what happened before the stabbing or how the people involved were connected. They also have not said whether the incident began on the roadway itself or in a nearby area before officers arrived.

Even with limited details, police moved quickly to secure the scene and take several people into custody. That immediate action suggests investigators were treating the case as an active safety matter while sorting out who was involved and what unfolded.

Multiple people detained as investigators sort out what happened

Police said multiple people were detained following the report. They did not say how many people were being held or whether any arrests had been formally made by Friday night.

No information was immediately released about the condition of the victims, the extent of the injuries, or whether anyone was taken to a hospital. The department also did not identify the suspects or provide a possible motive.

Because the case involved more than one person, investigators are likely working to piece together individual roles, witness statements, and the sequence of events. For now, the department has only confirmed that the incident involved multiple stabbing victims and multiple detained people.

Officials say there is no public danger after the scene is secured

After the incident, Kingsport police said there was no threat to the public. That statement is often used to reassure drivers and nearby residents that the immediate emergency has been contained.

Police did not outline whether traffic on Interstate 26 was affected, how long officers remained on scene, or whether the area was closed while they investigated. Those details were not immediately available Friday evening.

The public-safety message indicates investigators believe the confrontation was limited to the people directly involved. Even so, police have not explained whether the stabbing was isolated, targeted, or tied to another dispute.

What is still unknown about the stabbing case

Several key questions remained unanswered Friday night. Police had not said how many people were stabbed, how many were detained, or whether any weapons were recovered at the scene.

They also had not released the names of those involved, and no further details were provided about possible charges. The department said it would share more information if additional facts became available.

For now, the confirmed facts are limited to the time, place, and the broad outline of the response. Officers were called out around 6:30 p.m. on Interstate 26 near Idle Hour Road, where they found multiple people injured and took multiple people into custody.

Police say updates will come as the investigation develops

Kingsport police said the case remains under investigation and that more information will be released later. That kind of follow-up is common in fast-moving violent incidents, especially when officers are still identifying the people involved.

WCYB reported that News 5 planned to update the story as additional information is released. Until then, the department’s statement is the main public account of what happened Friday evening on I-26.

Anyone traveling through the area would have done so after police said there was no threat to the public, but investigators still had work ahead to determine the cause, the relationships between those involved, and whether charges would follow.