Dozens of schools across the southeast have gone into lockdown in the past two weeks in response to reports of active threats.
Mercer University notified students and faculty of a potential active threat on campus on Wednesday, Aug. 27. Central Georgia Technical College received a similar call a day prior. The University of Georgia, the University of West Georgia and Clark Atlanta University all issued orders to shelter in place on Friday, Aug. 29.
While no one was injured during any of the incidents, each hoax was a disruption intended to distract or harass, according to a definition from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The "swatting," as the events are called, has sparked both an FBI investigation and a nationwide discussion about campus safety.
In the wake of the active threat warnings, students have questioned their safety in recent days, wondering if their school could be the next targeted by gun violence or hoax threats.
Mercer student Anna Taberski ‘29 was in class when the lockdown notification was sent just after noon and the University initiated active shooter protocol.
“I failed to process the information for a moment, and was almost in a state of denial,” Taberski said. “As far as I knew, I was completely at the mercy of someone else, and it was unreal and terrifying.”
UGA student Emma Fletcher also felt confused and afraid. “Even after the threat was cleared, I was scared the next day that another threat would be made at the football game when everyone was gathered in one place,” Fletcher said. “It’s just scary knowing it could happen at any time, to anyone, on any size campus.”
The swatting came the same week as the Minneapolis Catholic school shooting, which left two dead and more than 20 injured. News of that shooting was still developing when Mercer was under lockdown, heightening student fears.
The hoaxes can have an emotional impact on students, faculty and the surrounding community. “I texted my parents and considered for a moment that something truly bad could be happening, and It could be my last contact with them,” Taberski said. “That is a feeling no one should experience, hoax or not.”
Investigators haven’t determined any motives behind the recent surge of hoax calls, Curtis Adams, Bibb County's campus police chief, told The Telegraph. Authorities are still searching for the individuals responsible for the threats throughout Georgia, but one 16-year-old has been arrested in Macon for calling a threat into a local middle school, according to WGXA News.
Georgia institutions are encouraging students to seek counseling services to cope with the lingering anxiety from these threats. The University recommends any student in need of counseling can contact Counseling and Psychological Services between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. at (478) 301-2862.
Hannah Mock ‘29 is a communications major at Mercer and is currently a staff writer for The Mercer Cluster. When she’s not at a coffee shop catching up on her studies, she is working on her latest artistic projects or out hiking a new nature trail. Her favorite things to write about include arts and culture, social issues and community accomplishments.
