Georgia · Rockdale County · Schools

Rockdale County Schools Lockdown: Lockdowns Lifted at Rockdale County High and Heritage High, Person in Custody

Two Conyers high schools were locked down Tuesday after bomb threats. Both lockdowns have been lifted, officials say there is no active threat, and a person is in custody — not charged. Here is exactly what has been confirmed, and what has not.

What happened at Rockdale County High School and Heritage High School?

Two high schools in Rockdale County were placed on lockdown Tuesday after bomb threats, according to CBS Atlanta and Atlanta News First. The schools are Rockdale County High School and Heritage High School, both in Conyers.

The Rockdale County Sheriff's Office and the Conyers Police Department investigated together, according to both outlets and to FOX 5 Atlanta.

CBS Atlanta reported that investigators matched "an individual's information to the phone number used in at least one of the threats," and that a person was taken into custody as a result.

Both lockdowns were later lifted after authorities determined there was no active danger, and normal school operations resumed, CBS Atlanta reported.

Is Rockdale County High School still on lockdown?

No. CBS Atlanta reported that both lockdowns were lifted after an investigation, and that normal school operations resumed. FOX 5 Atlanta likewise reported that schools resumed normal operations and that officials said no active threat remains.

If you arrived at this page from a search while the lockdown was underway: it is over. The most current word from your child's own school still outranks anything on this page.

What happened at Heritage High School?

Heritage High School was the second of the two campuses placed on lockdown Tuesday after bomb threats, according to CBS Atlanta and Atlanta News First. WSB Radio described the two as separate threats made against the two schools.

Atlanta News First reported that it remains uncertain whether the person in custody was also responsible for the threat made to Heritage High School. That is an open question, not a settled one, and we are not going to round it off.

Timeline of Tuesday

Precise minute-by-minute times have not been released by either agency. What follows is the sequence as reported, with the publication times we can verify.

We have not seen a released time for when either lockdown began or ended. If the sheriff's office publishes one, this table will be updated.

"In custody" is not "arrested" — and it is not "charged"

This distinction matters, so here it is plainly.

The sheriff's office description quoted by CBS Atlanta says a person was taken into custody. CBS Atlanta reported that authorities have not disclosed whether criminal charges will be filed. FOX 5 Atlanta listed the question of formal charges among the things still unknown.

Some coverage of Tuesday's events has used the word "arrest." No charge has been announced by any agency in any report we read. A person can be taken into custody — including for a mental health evaluation — without being charged with a crime.

Attention: no name, age or photo of the person in custody has been released. CBS Atlanta and FOX 5 Atlanta both reported that identity and age were withheld. The Local Alert does not name people who have not been charged, and anyone accused of a crime is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

Did the same person make both threats?

Unknown. The careful wording from CBS Atlanta is that investigators matched an individual's information to the phone number used in at least one of the threats. Atlanta News First reported it is uncertain whether that person was also behind the Heritage High School threat.

So there are two possibilities on the table, and officials have not chosen between them publicly: one person behind both threats, or two separate sources.

What officials said about a mental health crisis

The Rockdale County Sheriff's Office said, in a statement quoted by CBS Atlanta:

Two things follow from that, and both are worth saying out loud for the parents reading this.

First, "believed to be" is not a diagnosis, and it is not a conviction. The sheriff's office is describing an assessment made in the middle of an unfolding day. Nothing about it establishes what happened or what the person intended.

Second, a mental health crisis is a medical event, not a character verdict. The overwhelming majority of people who experience one never harm anyone. If your teenager asks you about this tonight, that framing is the accurate one.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is reachable by call or text at 988.

Are the schools safe now?

That is the question every parent typed today, so here is the direct answer as reported:

• CBS Atlanta reported that both lockdowns were lifted after an investigation, and that normal school operations resumed.
• FOX 5 Atlanta reported that officials confirmed there is no ongoing threat to students or staff.
• Atlanta News First reported that the Rockdale County School District said all students and staff are safe.

No injuries have been reported at either school in any of the coverage we reviewed.

The two schools, and how to reach them

Both campuses are in Conyers, Rockdale County. If you need a status update on your own student, the school's front office is the right number to call — not 911.

Addresses and phone numbers as published on each school's own website, rchs.rockdaleschools.org and hhs.rockdaleschools.org. Both list office hours of 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on school days.

Soft lockdown vs. hard lockdown

Parents ask this every time, and the honest answer is that the terms are not standardized. Districts use them differently, and we found no published Rockdale County Public Schools definition of either.

What we can point to is how Rockdale has used the phrase before. In February 2025 — a separate, earlier incident — On Common Ground News reported that Rockdale elementary schools were placed on a "soft lockdown" after safety threats on social media aimed at a high school, and published the message sent to parents, which read in part:

In that usage, a soft lockdown limits movement in and out of the building.

We do not know which posture was used at each campus Tuesday. Reports describe both schools as being placed on lockdown, without specifying a level. When you get your school's message, the useful question to ask is not "soft or hard" but what did that mean for my child's classroom.

How Rockdale County parents get notified

FOX 5 Atlanta reported that school officials promised direct updates to parents while law enforcement worked to identify the caller. WSB Radio reported that the schools would send messages to parents with additional information.

Rockdale County Public Schools lists ParentSquare among its administrative technology tools. ParentSquare's own site says its mass notification feature sends urgent notifications by text, email, app and voice, with delivery beginning within seconds across the selected channels.

We could not confirm from the district which system carried Tuesday's messages, so treat that as background on the tooling rather than a statement about today.

The practical takeaway is unglamorous and matters more than any of the above: district alerts go to the phone number and email address the school has on file. Rockdale County High School's site directs families to sign in to the Infinite Campus Parent Portal or create an account, and notes that setting up a new account requires the student's Social Security number, date of birth and RCPS student ID. If your number changed this summer, that is the thing to fix before the next alert goes out.

What Georgia law requires of school safety plans

Georgia does not leave lockdown planning to each principal's judgment. Under O.C.G.A. § 20-2-1185, every public school must prepare a school safety plan.

The statute requires that plan to be developed with input from students, parents, teachers, community leaders, school employees, and local law enforcement, fire service, public safety and emergency management agencies. Plans must address violence prevention and response, natural disasters, hazardous materials and terrorism, among other hazards.

Plans must be reviewed and, if necessary, updated annually, and public school plans must be submitted to the local emergency management agency.

That last clause is the one parents rarely know about: your county emergency management agency holds a copy. It is a reasonable thing to ask your school about at the start of a year that opened like this one.

What happens to someone who calls in a bomb threat in Georgia

To be clear before anything else: no one has been charged in this case, and what follows is general Georgia law, not an assertion about the person in custody.

Georgia has a specific offense for this conduct. Under O.C.G.A. § 16-10-28, transmitting a false alarm to the effect that a destructive device or hazardous substance is concealed in a place where its explosion, detonation or release would endanger human life is punishable by imprisonment for not less than one nor more than five years, or a fine of not less than $1,000, or both.

The statute also lets a court order restitution to any affected public or private entity for the reasonable costs or damages associated with the offense — including the value of goods, services or income lost. In a school threat, that can mean the cost of the emergency response itself.

Whether any of that applies here depends on charges that have not been filed and facts that have not been established.

Will school be open tomorrow?

No closure has been announced. CBS Atlanta reported that normal school operations resumed after the lockdowns were lifted, and FOX 5 Atlanta reported the same.

We have seen no announcement about Wednesday from Rockdale County Public Schools. If one comes, it will come from the district — by message, on the district site, or through your school — and that message is the only authority on it. A screenshot circulating in a group chat is not.

What we don't know yet

Each of those is a real gap, not an oversight. We would rather leave a line blank than fill it with a guess. This page will be updated as the Rockdale County Sheriff's Office, the Conyers Police Department or the school district release more.

What parents can do tonight

Nobody was hurt today, and the useful response to that is preparation, not alarm. Four things worth ten minutes:

• Check your contact information with the school. Alerts go to the number on file, and it is the single most common reason a parent misses one.
• Ask your child what actually happened in their room — not what they saw online. The gap between the two is usually where the fear lives.
• Learn your school's reunification point. In an evacuation, students are released from a designated location, not from the front door. Ask now, not during.
• Make sure your child can be identified by an adult who has never met them. A phone in a locker, in a backpack, or dead at 2 p.m. is not a plan.

Frequently asked questions

Is Rockdale County High School on lockdown?
Not now. CBS Atlanta reported that both lockdowns were lifted after an investigation, and that normal school operations resumed.

What happened at Heritage High School?
Heritage High School was one of two Rockdale County high schools placed on lockdown Tuesday after bomb threats, according to CBS Atlanta and Atlanta News First. The Rockdale County Sheriff's Office and the Conyers Police Department investigated. That lockdown was lifted.

Are the schools safe now?
Officials say there is no active threat. CBS Atlanta reported the lockdowns were lifted after an investigation. FOX 5 Atlanta reported schools resumed normal operations and that officials said no active threat remains. Atlanta News First reported the Rockdale County School District said all students and staff are safe.

Was anyone hurt?
No injuries have been reported at either school in any of the coverage we reviewed.

Was anyone arrested?
A person was taken into custody. The sheriff's office statement quoted by CBS Atlanta describes the person as in custody and says officials are working to get the individual medical care. Some coverage has used the word arrest, but no charge has been announced, and being in custody is not the same as being charged.

Has anyone been charged?
No. CBS Atlanta reported that authorities have not disclosed whether criminal charges will be filed. FOX 5 Atlanta also listed the question of formal charges among what is not yet known.

Who made the bomb threats?
No name has been released. CBS Atlanta reported that no details about the person's identity or age were provided, and FOX 5 Atlanta reported the same. The Local Alert does not name people who have not been charged.

Did the same person make both threats?
That is not established. Investigators matched an individual's information to the phone number used in at least one of the threats, according to CBS Atlanta. Atlanta News First reported it remains uncertain whether the person in custody was also responsible for the threat made to Heritage High School.

What did officials say about a mental health crisis?
The Rockdale County Sheriff's Office said, in a statement quoted by CBS Atlanta: At this time, the individual is believed to be experiencing a mental health crisis. We are working on getting this individual the appropriate medical care and assistance they need.

What is a soft lockdown versus a hard lockdown?
Terminology varies by district, and we found no published Rockdale County Public Schools definition. In practice, a soft lockdown restricts movement in and out of the building. In February 2025, On Common Ground News reported a Rockdale message to parents that read in part: Please be aware that we are going to continue implementing a soft lockdown today to limit traffic in and out of the building. Ask your child's school which level was used and what it meant for that campus.

How will I be notified if my child's school is locked down?
Through the school, not through social media. FOX 5 Atlanta reported school officials promised direct updates to parents, and WSB Radio reported the schools would send messages to parents with additional information. Rockdale County Public Schools lists ParentSquare among its administrative technology tools, and ParentSquare says its mass notification feature sends urgent notifications by text, email, app and voice. Make sure the phone number and email your school has on file are current.

Will school be open tomorrow?
No closure has been announced. CBS Atlanta reported normal school operations resumed after the lockdowns were lifted. We have not seen any announcement about Wednesday. Treat the district's own message as the only authority on that.

What happens to someone who calls in a bomb threat in Georgia?
Georgia has a specific offense for it. Under O.C.G.A. section 16-10-28, transmitting a false alarm that a destructive device or hazardous substance is concealed somewhere its explosion, detonation or release would endanger human life is punishable by imprisonment for not less than one nor more than five years, or a fine of not less than $1,000, or both. The statute also allows a court to order restitution to affected public or private entities for the reasonable costs of the response. No one has been charged in this case.

Which agencies responded?
The Rockdale County Sheriff's Office and the Conyers Police Department, according to CBS Atlanta, Atlanta News First and FOX 5 Atlanta.

Does Georgia require schools to have a lockdown plan?
Yes. O.C.G.A. section 20-2-1185 requires every public school to prepare a school safety plan, developed with input from students, parents, teachers, community leaders, school employees and local law enforcement, fire, public safety and emergency management agencies. Plans must be reviewed and, if necessary, updated annually, and public school plans must be submitted to the local emergency management agency.

Where can I get official updates?
From Rockdale County Public Schools and your child's school directly, and from the Rockdale County Sheriff's Office. Rockdale County High School's main number is 770-483-8754 and Heritage High School's is 770-483-5428. Please do not call 911 for status updates.