Students confirmed safe after authorities find Norcross High lockdown was a swatting hoax
Norcross High School in Gwinnett County, Georgia, was placed on lockdown this morning following reports of an armed person possibly on campus, triggering a large police response before authorities concluded the call was a hoax and gave an all-clear shortly after noon.
The Norcross Police Department and Gwinnett County Public Schools police responded to the campus after receiving a report about the possible presence of an armed individual. Multiple police vehicles were visible outside the school, traffic on Spalding Drive in front of the building was shut down, and drivers were directed to use alternate routes. At one point, videos circulating on social media showed officers moving quickly toward the school building. Aerial footage taken around noon showed the situation outside was calm.
By approximately 12:30 p.m., students were observed leaving campus.
What investigators found
Following a thorough investigation, authorities determined the incident was a swatting call, meaning no genuine threat had been present. In a letter sent to families, Principal Will Bishop explained that the campus was immediately placed on a hard lockdown while officers investigated, and that school officials made the decision as a precaution, treating the report with full seriousness until it could be resolved.
Officials noted the response was also connected to reports of an armed robbery, though further details about what initially prompted the call were not immediately released.
Gwinnett County School Police confirmed they are working with state and federal authorities to trace the origin of the call and identify whoever is responsible.
A second Gwinnett County swatting incident in one week
The Norcross incident was not an isolated event within the district. Authorities noted in their letter to families that a similar swatting call had targeted another Gwinnett County Public Schools campus just the week before. The back-to-back incidents point to a pattern of deliberate disruption targeting schools in the area.
The Norcross lockdown also took place on the same day that multiple Tennessee high schools were placed on lockdown following coordinated bomb threat calls that authorities there also described as likely hoaxes. Law enforcement agencies across the country have been responding to an increase in swatting incidents directed at schools, some of which have been linked to automated robocalling campaigns.
What parents are being asked to do
The principal’s letter to families acknowledged that situations like this are understandably unsettling, and expressed appreciation for the community’s patience and trust as the school responds to threats it takes seriously regardless of their source.
Authorities have not yet publicly identified a suspect in the Norcross call. The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information about the origin of the report is encouraged to contact law enforcement. All students and staff were confirmed safe following the all-clear.