Update published Monday, April 21 at 7 p.m.:
After a school threat was reportedly made against Chestatee High School Monday afternoon, the Hall County School District (HCSD) and Hall County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) have made statements.
HCSD's Stan Lewis said in a press release that shortly after 2 p.m., school officials received an anonymous phone call threatening harm to students.
The sheriff's office was contacted immediately and the school was under a lockdown until 4:20 p.m.
HCSO reports that "dozens" of uniformed personnel as well as four teams from the K-9 unit were on scene.
There was no evidence to suggest that the threat was credible according to HCSD and HCSO.
An initial investigation by the sheriff's office indicates that the unknown male caller threatened the lives and safety of Chestatee High students and staff.
“I am incredibly proud of our students, the team at Chestatee, and local law enforcement,” Superintendent Will Schofield said. “The district is also offering a $5000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for this heinous crime.”
Anyone with information should contact HCSO and the investigation remains ongoing.
Update published Monday, April 21 at 4:20 p.m.:
Hall County School District officials now say students are being dismissed after a threatening phone call led to a lockdown at Chestatee High School earlier in the afternoon.
Hall County School District Communications Director Stan Lewis said school officials and law enforcement have completed a sweep of the campus and given the all clear to allow for dismissal.
"We thank you for your patience and understanding," Lewis said in the statement.
More details on the threat can be found in the original story below.
Original story published Monday, April 21 at 3:20 p.m.:
Chestatee High School in Hall County has been locked down as authorities and school officials investigate a threatening phone call that the school received Monday afternoon.
Hall County School District Communications Director Stan Lewis said the call was received just after 2:00 p.m.
"Police were immediately called and the principal put the school on an interior lockdown, which means we just keep kids indoors," Lewis said. "We did this out of an abundance of caution. We've got police on campus right now assessing the situation."
Lewis said the threat was not directed at any other schools besides Chestatee High, but he said the lockdown could affect bus schedules for nearby Chestatee Academy and Sardis Elementary School. He did not give a timeline for when the lockdown may be lifted or how the threat would affect school activities in the coming days.
Lewis said a statement was emailed to parents, warning of the potential bus delays:
"Thank you for your patience as we work to resolve the threat at Chestatee High school. Law enforcement is still assessing the campus to ensure the safety of students and staff," the statement said. "Parents should expect bus delays this afternoon as we are taking every precaution before releasing students."
http://accesswdun.com/article/2025/4/1290563/all-clear-given-after-threatening-phone-call-locks-down-chestatee-high