Jones County student arrested after allegedly threatening to shoot up school, police say

A female Jones County student was arrested Thursday after allegedly threatening to shoot up a school, police said.

The 15-year-old threatened to shoot up Jones County High School if a boy rejected her, the Jones County Sheriff’s Office confirmed in an online post.

The student was detained and transported to the Macon Regional Youth Detention Center, where she is being held pending a juvenile court hearing.

Local police and school resource officers identified the student after spending hours Thursday night investigating and interviewing other students, police added.

Authorities said they received multiple reports of school threats this week but determined that they were not credible to the county’s schools.

The Jones County Sheriff’s Office said it takes any threat to school safety seriously and will thoroughly investigate.

“We hope that students will realize school shootings are not something to joke about or take lightly. Parents, please talk with your children about the seriousness of making threats and spreading rumors online,” the office said in a social media post.

The incident follows a wave of online rumors circulating across Middle Georgia school districts and the Apalachee shooting in Barrow County.

This story was originally published September 14, 2024 at 9:10 AM.