PANAMA CITY — Mosely and Rutherford high schools went into lockdown on Aug. 10 after suspected “swatting” threats.
The first day of the school year was dramatic for the two high schools when anonymous bomb threats were called in to Bay County Emergency Communications. The Bay County Sheriff’s Office said the first call was at 8:30 a.m., targeting Rutherford High School.
Emergency units were at Rutherford when, at 9 a.m., another bomb threat was called in targeting Mosely High School. Parents shared a text from high school administrators on Facebook, in which they say they were going into a hard lockdown after receiving reports of a suspicious package on campus.
BCSO said both campuses were thoroughly searched and cleared. The Sheriff’s Office said its policy is to assume these types of threats are credible until proved otherwise.
The message to parents
In the Mosely message to parents, administrators said it was thought that these individuals were calling in threats to schools “all around the district and nation.”
The Lynn Haven Police Department said the FBI has identified the phone number associated with the Mosely call and tied it to incidents reported across the nation.
“At this time, these incidents are believed to be the result of swatting, the intentional use of false emergency reports to trigger a large-scale law enforcement response,” reads a release from BCSO. “Investigators are actively working with the FBI and our federal law enforcement partners to identify those responsible.”
Bay District Schools said in a release that it would not allow false threats to ruin the first day back in the classroom.
“Our schools followed their safety protocols, law enforcement responded, and most importantly, all of our students and staff are safe. Families at the impacted schools were notified directly,” BDS said in the release. “We will always take any potential threat seriously, and we are incredibly grateful for the quick response of our school administrators and our law enforcement partners.”
‘No need for our community to panic’
The Panama City Beach Police Department issued a release advising beach residents that no schools in their area had been targeted.
“You will see our officers spending some extra time around our schools today, ” Chief J.R. Talamantez said in the release. “That is simply us being proactive and providing some additional presence and reassurance. There is no need for our community to panic.”
BCSO said that just because calls are anonymous doesn’t mean they’re untraceable, and they will be pursuing criminal charges where appropriate.
“This is not a joke. This is not a prank,” wrote BCSO in their release. “Making false bomb threats against schools ties up critical emergency resources, disrupts thousands of students and families, and forces law enforcement officers to respond as though an actual threat exists.”
As of 1:18 p.m. on Aug. 10, both lockdowns had been reportedly lifted.
Increased penalties for swatting
In May 2025, during a stop in Winter Haven in Central Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law that stiffens penalties for making false 911 calls, according to the Lakeland Ledger.
Dubbed Florida’s “anti-swatting” bill, HB 279 creates enhanced criminal penalties for people who call 911 to report false emergencies, building on statutes enacted in 2021. The law makes it a third-degree felony if a false report causes great bodily harm, permanent disfigurement or injury; and raises it to a second-degree felony if someone dies due to the report. An individual who causes another person to make a false 911 report that results in an emergency response can be held accountable under the new legislation.
The legislation came about after a string of high-profile swatting cases across Florida during the early part of the 2024-25 school year. Several such false reports targeted Bay County Schools, including Bay, Mosely and Rutherford high schools, North Bay Haven Charter Academy and Merritt Brown Middle School.
Information from a report by Sara-Megan Walsh of the Lakeland Ledger, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida, was used in this report.
This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Bomb threats disrupt first day back at two Bay County high schools
Reporting by Dylan Gentile, Panama City News Herald / The News Herald
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Dylan Gentile, Panama City News Herald | USA TODAY Network
