(PADUCAH, Ky.) — A 15-year-old Georgia boy has been charged with terroristic threatening after authorities say he called in a shooting threat to McCracken County High School on Halloween, prompting a full lockdown and evacuation of the campus.
The incident unfolded on October 31, 2025, when McCracken County Public Schools received a phone call warning that a school shooting was going to occur. School resource officers immediately requested assistance from the McCracken County Sheriff’s Office.
Out of an abundance of caution, school administrators placed the high school in lockdown as deputies and additional resource officers converged on the campus. After assessing the situation, school officials and law enforcement determined the threat was not immediate and the campus was safe.
Despite that determination, authorities continued to exercise extreme caution, coordinating a careful evacuation that saw students escorted from the building under the watch of administrators, school resource officers, and deputies.
As the evacuation proceeded, MCSO detectives launched an investigation into the threat. Information provided by school resource officers quickly led investigators to develop a suspect — located more than 600 miles away in Valdosta, Georgia.
MCSO personnel immediately contacted Valdosta law enforcement, who located the suspect. However, after several hours of initial investigation, detectives had not gathered sufficient evidence to pursue criminal charges.
The breakthrough came Tuesday, November 4, when MCSO detectives traveled to Valdosta and, with assistance from the Valdosta Police Department, interviewed the 15-year-old male suspect. During that interview, detectives determined the juvenile had indeed made the threat against McCracken County High School. They also uncovered other possible illegal activity now being investigated by Valdosta police.
Working in coordination with the McCracken County Attorney’s Office and court designated workers, detectives obtained an arrest warrant for the teenager, who is charged with second-degree terroristic threatening.
The McCracken County Sheriff’s Office expressed gratitude to the Valdosta Police Department for their assistance, as well as to McCracken County Public Schools, the MCPS Police Department, and students, staff, and families for their patience during the Friday incident.
