{
  "id": "2025-08-26-central-georgia-technical-college-swatting",
  "slug": "central-georgia-technical-college-swatting-2025-08-26",
  "institution": {
    "name": "Central Georgia Technical College",
    "shortName": "CGTC",
    "state": "GA",
    "type": "technical-college",
    "alertSystemName": "CGTC Emergency Alert",
    "enrollment": 7500
  },
  "incident": {
    "date": "2025-08-26",
    "type": "swatting",
    "cleryCategory": "emergency-notification",
    "headline": "Swatting incident, August 26, 2025",
    "summary": "On August 26, 2025, at approximately 1:00 PM EDT, a [hoax 911 call reporting an active shooter](https://www.13wmaz.com/article/news/local/macon/potential-shooter-central-georgia-technical-colleges-macon-campus-no-shots-confirmed/93-e100d8c6-4a58-4713-956d-efddc147c3fd) prompted a full lockdown and shelter-in-place advisory at Central Georgia Technical College's Macon campus. CGTC Police, the Bibb County Sheriff's Office, and Georgia State Patrol responded. The [lockdown was lifted at 2:25 PM EDT](https://www.centralgatech.edu/cgtc-police-and-local-law-enforcement-clear-active-shooter-threat-on-macon-campus-of-central-georgia-technical-college-august-26) after law enforcement confirmed the threat was a hoax.",
    "outcome": "No active shooter was found. Two individuals were treated for anxiety. The same caller is believed to have also called a hoax threat to nearby Rutland High School. The FBI's Atlanta field office opened an investigation into hoax threats targeting Georgia institutions.",
    "resolution": "confirmed-hoax",
    "casualties": {
      "killed": 0,
      "injured": 0
    }
  },
  "alerts": [
    {
      "sequence": 1,
      "type": "initial",
      "timestamp": "2025-08-26T13:37:00-04:00",
      "channel": "sms",
      "verbatimText": "",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": false,
      "sourceDescription": "Reconstructed from CGTC official press release and 13WMAZ coverage; CGTC sent the emergency notification at 1:37 PM EDT",
      "annotations": []
    },
    {
      "sequence": 2,
      "type": "update",
      "timestamp": "2025-08-26T14:07:00-04:00",
      "channel": "sms",
      "verbatimText": "",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": false,
      "sourceDescription": "Reconstructed from CGTC official timeline; an institutional alert was sent at 2:07 PM EDT",
      "annotations": []
    },
    {
      "sequence": 3,
      "type": "all-clear",
      "timestamp": "2025-08-26T14:25:00-04:00",
      "channel": "facebook",
      "verbatimText": "UPDATE: ALL CLEAR: the lockdown/shelter in place advisory is now lifted for CGTC's Macon campus. Law Enforcement Officers have cleared the campus. Please resume normal campus operations.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.facebook.com/centralgatech/posts/update-all-clear-the-lockdownshelter-in-place-advisory-is-now-lifted-for-cgtcs-m/1175077167979693/",
      "sourceDescription": "Central Georgia Technical College official Facebook post (Aug 26, 2025)",
      "annotations": [
        "The all-clear was given at 2:25 PM EDT on August 26, 2025, approximately 48 minutes after the initial shelter-in-place alert",
        "Two people were treated for anxiety during the lockdown; no other injuries were reported"
      ],
      "characterCount": 186
    }
  ],
  "context": "Central Georgia Technical College serves approximately 7,500 students across multiple campuses in central Georgia. On August 26, 2025, a [hoax 911 call reported an active shooter](https://www.13wmaz.com/article/news/local/macon/potential-shooter-central-georgia-technical-colleges-macon-campus-no-shots-confirmed/93-e100d8c6-4a58-4713-956d-efddc147c3fd) at the Macon campus just after 1:00 PM EDT. The [college issued a shelter-in-place advisory at 1:37 PM EDT](https://www.centralgatech.edu/cgtc-police-and-local-law-enforcement-clear-active-shooter-threat-on-macon-campus-of-central-georgia-technical-college-august-26), and multiple agencies including the Bibb County Sheriff's Office and Georgia State Patrol responded. Deputies swept the entire campus but found no threat. The [Bibb County Sheriff's Office confirmed the calls were a hoax](https://www.41nbc.com/cgtc-active-shooter-report-all-clear-update-3/), and the same caller is believed to have also targeted Rutland High School. The incident was part of a [broader wave of swatting calls targeting Georgia educational institutions](https://www.13wmaz.com/article/news/local/multiple-georgia-colleges-respond-to-false-shooter-threats/93-42761eb0-acb7-45f5-948f-af23550f7a80) in late August 2025, with at least three Georgia colleges responding to false threats on a single Friday later that week. The FBI's Atlanta field office opened an investigation.",
  "keyFindings": [
    "The entire lockdown lasted approximately 48 minutes from the initial alert to the all-clear, demonstrating an efficient response to a hoax",
    "The same caller is believed to have targeted both CGTC and a nearby high school, suggesting a coordinated swatting effort",
    "Two people were treated for anxiety, illustrating the real psychological harm caused by hoax threats",
    "The incident was part of a broader wave of swatting targeting Georgia educational institutions in late August 2025"
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "Central Georgia Technical College official Facebook post (Aug 26, 2025)",
      "url": "https://www.facebook.com/centralgatech/posts/update-all-clear-the-lockdownshelter-in-place-advisory-is-now-lifted-for-cgtcs-m/1175077167979693/",
      "type": "official-archive"
    },
    {
      "title": "Report of shooter at Central Georgia Technical College's Macon campus suspected hoax, lockdown lifted - 13WMAZ",
      "url": "https://www.13wmaz.com/article/news/local/macon/potential-shooter-central-georgia-technical-colleges-macon-campus-no-shots-confirmed/93-e100d8c6-4a58-4713-956d-efddc147c3fd",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "CGTC Police and Local Law Enforcement Clear Active Shooter Threat - CGTC Official",
      "url": "https://www.centralgatech.edu/cgtc-police-and-local-law-enforcement-clear-active-shooter-threat-on-macon-campus-of-central-georgia-technical-college-august-26",
      "type": "official-archive"
    },
    {
      "title": "BCSO confirms hoax active shooter calls regarding CGTC, Rutland HS - 41NBC",
      "url": "https://www.41nbc.com/cgtc-active-shooter-report-all-clear-update-3/",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "At least 3 Georgia colleges respond to false shooter threats Friday - 13WMAZ",
      "url": "https://www.13wmaz.com/article/news/local/multiple-georgia-colleges-respond-to-false-shooter-threats/93-42761eb0-acb7-45f5-948f-af23550f7a80",
      "type": "local-media"
    }
  ],
  "confidence": "high",
  "tags": [
    "swatting",
    "hoax",
    "technical-college",
    "georgia",
    "active-shooter-hoax",
    "multi-agency-response",
    "fbi-investigation"
  ],
  "dateAdded": "2026-05-02",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-07-17",
  "addedBy": "ingestion"
}