Macon school was placed on lockdown Friday because of hoax threat. Teen arrested

A 16-year-old Macon boy was arrested Friday afternoon after allegedly reporting false information about an active shooter threat at Ballard-Hudson Middle School.

The teenager faces several charges, including felony terroristic threat, disruption of a public school and misuse of 911, according to Bibb County School District spokesperson Stephanie Hartley.

The middle school was placed on a precautionary lockdown Friday afternoon after local law enforcement officials received notice of an alleged active shooter threat.

“The call was traced to a home, and a 16-year-old male was arrested,” Hartley said in an email.

Hartley initially said the teenager was being charged by the school district’s campus police but later clarified that the charges are being turned back over to the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office.

The BSO confirmed that it is taking over the case after issuing a news release Friday evening.

The call came into the Macon-Bibb Emergency 911 Center at 2:46 p.m., according to law enforcement.

“The caller reported an active shooting at Ballard-Hudson Middle School located at 1070 Anthony Road while claiming he was inside of the bathroom during the imminent threat,” the news release stated.

The caller was located on Bloomfield Road near the Elkan Avenue intersection, police said in the release.

Multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Bibb County School District Campus Police, reported to the campus before determining that there was no threat.

Friday night, the BSO said in a statement that it would not be investigating whether the teen has anything to do with similar false calls made recently in the area because “there are no signs that they are related.”

Students were dismissed at the regular 4:05 p.m. dismissal time, Hartley said.

“The safety of students and staff remains a top priority, and we are appreciative to all law enforcement agencies for their support,” the district said in a statement sent to Ballard-Hudson parents.

Just before 3 p.m., Bibb County Emergency Services received a phone call about an alleged threat, prompting law enforcement’s arrival at the school. The suspect was taken into custody just after 3:30 p.m., according to the sheriff’s office.

After further investigation by the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division, deputies took the suspect to the Macon Regional Youth Detention Center.

The suspect’s name has not been released.

This incident follows a string of hoax reports in the Middle Georgia area this week.

This story was originally published August 29, 2025 at 3:56 PM.