Authorities believe a threatening phone call made to Chestatee High School on Monday, April 21, was likely a case of swatting, according to an update from the Hall County Sheriff’s Office.
Swatting refers to a dangerous prank in which someone falsely reports an emergency to trigger a large law enforcement response.
The Sheriff’s Office said its Criminal Investigations Bureau (CIB) has identified the number used in the call and confirmed it was not a local line. Investigators said similar methods have been used in other swatting incidents both in Georgia and nationwide.
The male caller on Monday afternoon claimed that explosives had been placed around the school’s campus and threatened to harm students and staff as they exited the building, according to police. Chestatee High remained on an interior lockdown for two hours as uniformed officers and K-9 units from the Hall County Sheriff’s Office searched the campus. No explosives were found, and authorities determined there was no actual threat to students or staff.
The lockdown was lifted around 4:20 p.m. and students were allowed to leave.
The CIB continues to investigate and is working to identify the person responsible.
The Hall County School District is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the anonymous caller who threatened to harm students at Chestatee High School. The school received the threat shortly after 2 p.m. on Monday, April 21, prompting a lockdown and large-scale law enforcement response.
