Georgia teens are being charged across multiple counties following a surge in online threats against schools. Authorities are arresting those responsible, stressing that even hoaxes carry serious consequences.
🚨 Why It Matters: These threats come just days after a tragic school shooting in Barrow County, putting communities on edge and prompting a strong response from law enforcement. Parents and students alike are left grappling with fear, as schools and police work overtime to ensure safety.
👮♂️ What’s Happening: Several teens, some as young as 12, have been arrested for making threats against schools through social media. These threats have forced schools into lockdowns, and in some cases, entire districts have been shut down. Schools in multiple counties—including Gwinnett, Forsyth, and Franklin—have seen disruptions due to the threats. Gwinnett County alone has investigated nearly 300 social media threats this week.
- In Athens-Clarke County, a 12-year-old was arrested for posting gun images and naming local schools.
- Forsyth County arrested two teens for making online threats, both of whom are now in juvenile detention.
- Gwinnett County saw two students arrested after one falsely claimed there was an active shooter, while another posted gun photos.
- In Franklin County, schools were completely shut down Friday in response to threats.
❗ Between the Lines: Most of these threats have been deemed hoaxes, but the timing couldn’t be worse. They follow the deadly shooting at Apalachee High School earlier in the week, where four people were killed. Authorities aren’t taking any chances, even if the threats lack credibility.
- Sheriff Gerald Couch of Hall County expressed frustration, saying these incidents come at a particularly sensitive time.
- Even hoax threats are being prosecuted with charges like terroristic threats and disruption of schools.
🔍 The Big Picture: The rise in threats points to a troubling trend where social media is weaponized to spread fear in schools. Communities already dealing with the fallout from real tragedies are now being burdened with hoaxes that strain resources and stoke panic. While some of the teens say their posts were “jokes,” law enforcement isn’t laughing.
These incidents, combined with a heightened national conversation about gun violence in schools, underscore the vulnerability many feel in a place that should be a sanctuary for learning.
Parents should speak to their children about these hoax threats and remind them that getting a day off of school or a little extra attention is not worth time in juvenile detention or jail.