A bomb threat written on a bathroom wall at North Habersham Middle School Wednesday prompted the evacuation of students and staff. Now, an investigation is underway to find out who’s responsible.
How it unfolded
Authorities say custodians at the school discovered the threat around 12:30 p.m. Law enforcement quickly responded along with Habersham County Fire/EMS. The Habersham County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance from the Hall County Sheriff’s bomb detection K-9 units.
“Multiple officers and dogs did a complete and thorough check of the entire campus,” says Habersham County School Superintendent Matthew Cooper. “Nothing suspicious was found and it was determined that the bomb threat was a hoax.”
The school called parents as the situation unfolded. They assured them their students were safe.
Buses were brought in to get students out of the rain while they waited for the building to be checked. Wall Bridge Road in front of the school was closed for nearly two hours as officials secured and cleared the scene.
Praise and assurance
“I was at the school and was very impressed with the way our staff and students handled the situation today,” Cooper says. He praises the “outstanding response” from the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office and other responding agencies.
“Our school system receives exceptional cooperation from our local law enforcement agencies and they stand ready to deal with anyone that makes threats with their words or actions.”
Another example of that came just last week when a student was taken into custody for allegedly making threats against Habersham Ninth Grade Academy. Cooper emphasizes now, as he did then, that school safety is the system’s number one priority.
“In the Habersham County School System, we have administrators, teachers, and staff members who are willing to do whatever it takes to protect our boys and girls. We have extensive safety measures in place at all schools and we continually look for ways to improve these measures,” Cooper says. “Our parents should feel assured that when it comes to safety, we treat our students like they are our own children. I will continue to pray daily for the safety of our students, staff, and community.”
School officials and law enforcement are now investigating to determine who wrote the bomb threat at NHMS. Cooper says, “We are confident that we will find out who is responsible and the culprit will face the most severe consequences through the school system as well as in the legal system.”
Anyone with information regarding the incident is encouraged to call the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office at (706) 839-0500 or contact the Sheriff’s Office online at www.habershamsheriff.com.
Featured photo: HCSO Facebook
Updated 2/21/18@7pm
