Sheriff’s Office dispels Callaway High gun rumor

Published 7:00 am Thursday, September 23, 2021

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The Troup County Sheriff’s Office has disproven a rumor circulating on social media regarding students carrying guns at Callaway High School.

The rumor was started from a user’s personal account, said Public Information Officer Stewart Smith.

“They had heard that a student was arrested yesterday at Callaway High School, and I was just trying to dispel those rumors,” he said, adding that there was no merit to the rumor.

Smith addressed the rumor on TCSO’s Facebook page Wednesday.

“Contrary to what may be shared on social media, there have been no guns found on any students on the Callaway High School campus,” the post said. “Please understand that what you put on social media can stir emotions and cause confusion.”

Smith said that there have been an increased number of deputies at the school during the last few days on the campus due to an unverified Snapchat threat from last week.

A threat was also made at LaGrange High School on Sept. 16, and a 14-year old was linked to that threat and arrested later that week. A 12-year-old Gardner Newman student was also arrested in response to threats at that school. As of Friday, Sept. 17, no arrest has been made in a threat made at Callaway High School.

“It spread like wildfire and that particular post said something was supposed to happen today, so we’ve had a couple of extra people out there the last couple of days just help calm nerves,” Smith said of the Snapchat threat at CHS.