Campus Alert Archive
SCAD

Anonymous Bomb Threat Evacuates SCAD Atlanta's Peachtree Street Building Before Spring Weekend

GAbomb threatemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed HoaxDetermined to be a hoax. The institutional response is documented because it reveals how the alert system performed under a perceived real threat.

On March 29, 2014, the SCAD Atlanta campus at 1600 Peachtree Street received an anonymous bomb threat that prompted a full evacuation of the building. The Atlanta Police Department Bomb Squad conducted a thorough search inside and outside the building but found nothing suspicious. By 11:00 AM, the building was cleared and classes resumed.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
—
Institution
Savannah College of Art and Design
Private Masters · GA
~15,300 students
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTmulti-channel
Approximate reconstruction236 chars
SCAD ALERT: An anonymous bomb threat has been received at the SCAD Atlanta campus at 1600 Peachtree Street. All students, faculty, and staff must evacuate the building immediately. Move to a safe distance and await further instructions.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

SCAD Atlanta has 24-hour security, and there was no evidence the building's security was breached at any time
The Atlanta Police Department Bomb Squad was called to conduct the search
ALL CLEARmulti-channel
Approximate reconstruction193 chars
SCAD ALERT: All clear. The Atlanta Police Bomb Squad has completed their search of the 1600 Peachtree building. Nothing suspicious was found. Students and staff may return. Classes will resume.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

The building was cleared by 11:00 AM EDT on March 29, 2014, and classes resumed normally
No arrests were reported in connection with the anonymous threat
Context

Background

On March 29, 2014, the Savannah College of Art and Design's Atlanta campus received an anonymous bomb threat targeting the building at 1600 Peachtree Street, the primary facility for SCAD Atlanta's programs. Students, faculty, and staff were promptly evacuated from the building. The Atlanta Police Department Bomb Squad responded and executed a thorough search both inside and outside the building but found nothing suspicious. SCAD noted that the campus maintains 24-hour security and there was no evidence that the building's security was breached at any time. By 11:00 AM EDT, everyone was welcomed back into the building and classes resumed. The incident was part of a broader national pattern of bomb threats targeting educational institutions during this period. SCAD's Atlanta campus, housed in a single major building on Peachtree Street in Midtown Atlanta, is distinct from the larger Savannah campus.
Analysis

Key Findings

The evacuation and all-clear were completed efficiently, with the building reopened by 11:00 AM
SCAD's 24-hour security was not breached during the incident
The anonymous nature of the threat meant no arrests were made, a common outcome for phoned-in bomb threats
SCAD Atlanta's single-building layout simplified the evacuation compared to sprawling multi-building campuses
Outcome
No suspicious materials were found. The Atlanta Police Department Bomb Squad cleared the building. Students, faculty, and staff were welcomed back by 11:00 AM and classes resumed normally.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Student Paper
    News brief: SCAD Atlanta receives bomb threat (SCAD District)
    scaddistrict.com
  2. Official
    Emergency Notifications (SCAD)
    scad.edu
Tags
bomb-threathoaxgeorgiaprivate-mastersart-schoolatlantaevacuationHoax
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion