Carolina Forest High School evacuated after ‘threatening phone call’

Caleb McCusker
·1 min read

CAROLINA FOREST, S.C. (WBTW) — Carolina Forest High School was evacuated Wednesday morning due to a “threatening phone call,” Horry County Schools said.

All students and staff were moved to a safe location on campus, the district said. Horry County police are on campus assisting in the investigation.

Horry County Schools said a bomb threat was called into the school’s front office. As areas of the school are swept and deemed safe by police, students and staff will begin to reenter the buildings.

Horry County police said the evacuation was out of abundance of caution. The “all-clear” was granted at about noon.

Principal Gaye Driggers released the following statement to parents after the incident:

“Dear Parents and Guardians,

Law enforcement has cleared all our buildings and all students and staff have safely returned to their classrooms. Several officers will remain on our campus as they continue to work with the school administration to investigate the phone call.

I am immensely proud of our students and staff for following our safety protocols during the evacuation process this morning. Each member of our Panther Family, from staff to students, played a crucial role in following instructions with urgency and efficiency.

We owe our public safety partners tremendous gratitude for their quick and detailed response to our school threat. Our partners included the Horry County Police Department, the Horry County Sheriff’s Office, and the State Law Enforcement Division who assisted in the thorough search of the school.

The Annual Horry County Schools Track and Field Meet will take place as close to the original schedule as possible this afternoon, although spectators will be on a delayed entry. All after-school activities and sports will resume as normal this evening.  

Thank you for your continued support of Carolina Forest High School.“

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Caleb is a digital producer at News13. Caleb joined the team in January 2023 after graduating from Liberty University. He is from Northern Virginia. Follow Caleb on X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here.

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