Augusta, GA
‘Claims of shots fired’ bring police, parents to Laney High
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – There was a large police presence Monday morning at Lucy C. Laney High School.
According to an alert from nearby Augusta University, the response was prompted by “claims of shots fired.”
About a dozen patrol cars with blue lights flashing, including about eight cars from the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, were at the school, 1339 Laney Walker Blvd., about 10:54 a.m.
Around 11:15 a.m., it appeared that a young man in handcuffs was being put into the back of a patrol car.
Two officers were guarding the gate.
An officer said just before 11 a.m. there was a “soft lockdown” and the situation had been contained.
They said there were no injuries but they gave no details of what had actually happened.
However, nearby Augusta University issued an alert to the AU community that around 10 a.m., the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office “responded to claims of shots fired.”
The alert continued: “Upon arrival it was determined that there was no active threat to the community and surrounding area.”
As rumors flew on social media, an army of parents showed up at the school, with many of them parking across the street/
At 11:15 a.m., officers gave the OK and parents streamed across Laney Walker Boulevard and into the school. Authorities said they would need an ID to pick up their kids.
At least some police cars were starting to leave the scene around 11:05 a.m.
News 12 reached out to the Richmond County School System and Richmond County Sheriff’s Office to learn more about the situation.
Laney High School has not been immune from the weapons and gunfire at schools across the country in recent years.
On Sept. 16, 2022, there was a shooting outside the Laney High School football game against Thomson. The shooting was blamed on visitors from McDuffie County.
In March, a gun was found in a student’s book bag during an administrative search on the campus.
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AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Democratic candidate for Georgia governor Olu Brown visited Augusta on Friday evening, stopping near the Sand Hills Community Center as early voting continues.
Brown is one of six candidates in the Democratic primary.
Campaign priorities
Brown said his vision as governor would focus on three main areas.
“One, it’s affordability around health care and making sure we expand Medicaid and expand Peach Care and make sure we continue to make our rural health care systems healthy and vital,” Brown said. “Number two, we’ve got to address education in all of Georgia, making sure every kid in Georgia gets an excellent education, and we’re paying our teachers more. And number 3, we’re protecting the rights of all women. Folks in the Gold Dome shouldn’t be making decisions about their bodies or the choices that they make.”
Brown is running against Amanda Duffy, Derrick Jackson, Geoff Duncan, Jason Esteves, Keisha Lance Bottoms and Mike Thurmond.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – An Augusta Prep student was arrested on a charge of terroristic threats over a picture of a LEGO gun he posted on social media.
It happened Wednesday, according to an incident report from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office.
Eric Hedinger, the principal of Augusta Preparatory Day School, told deputies a student had uploaded a picture to Snapchat of a “pistol” with the caption “shooting up the school so I don`t have to take the stats exam tomorrow. Don`t come yall!”
The principal said he spoke to the student and his father about the photo.
The principal also provided deputies with the student’s address in Grovetown.
A deputy went there and was told by the student that the “pistol” was a LEGO set that he had built.
He also said the comment he made was supposed to be a joke because he was not looking forward to taking his Advanced Placement statistics test this week.
The student showed the deputy the box that the LEGO set came in, and how the set was already disassembled.
The deputy also looked in the boy’s room to make sure he was not in possession of any weapons.
The mother advised that there was one firearm in the residence but it was locked up.
The deputy contacted Judge Leslie Morgan and she issued a warrant for terroristic threats.
The student, age 18, was taken into custody and transported to the Columbia County Detention Center.
News 12 is not reporting his name or publishing his photo since the LEGO gun could not have actually harmed anyone.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
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