An anonymous bomb threat shut down normal routines at Callahan Middle School on Thursday afternoon, as deputies with the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office placed the campus on a secure hold and ordered parents to stay away from the school. Instead of lining up outside Old Dixie Highway for pickup, families were told to head to an off-site reunification point while investigators swept the area. Officials did not immediately say whether regular dismissal times would be affected.
According to News4JAX, deputies responded to the threat around 2 p.m. and put the school on a "secure hold" while investigators worked on campus. The station reports the sheriff’s office directed parents to meet students at the Northeast Florida Fairgrounds instead of showing up at the school itself.
Traffic and reunification
Deputies routed families to the Northeast Florida Fairgrounds for student reunification and warned drivers and residents to steer clear of the Old Dixie Highway stretch near the school. Using an off-site site for pickup keeps emergency access roads open and keeps anxious parents out of the active response zone while officials account for students.
About Callahan Middle
The Nassau County School District lists Callahan Middle on Old Dixie Highway in Callahan, and district channels remain a primary place for families to get official information. Parents are urged to follow updates from the district and the sheriff’s office for confirmed reunification details and timing.
False threats carry penalties
Making a knowingly false report about a bomb or explosive is a criminal offense in Florida, and state law allows felony charges and can require a caller to pay restitution for the cost of the investigation. The relevant provisions are outlined in Florida Statutes.
Officials had not released additional details at the time of publication; families should continue to monitor the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office and the Nassau County School District for updates. This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
