Two hoax calls in two weeks shut down a mountain town around one church

What happened

Around 10:40 a.m. on Thursday, December 11, 2025, the Highlands Police Department got a 911 call threatening staff at the Highlands Episcopal Church of the Incarnation on Main Street. According to WSPA and FOX Carolina, the caller said he had a gun with the church in his line of sight and claimed there was an explosive device inside the church daycare. When a detective reached him, he said he might shoot at officers.

Police locked down the church and the surrounding area, including downtown businesses, the Highlands School and two other child care centers. The daycare buildings were evacuated and a bomb team was called in. The lockdown was lifted after 6 p.m. The next day, the Highlands Police Department, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the Macon County Sheriff’s Office announced the call was a hoax, or “swatting.” Police said the same church had been the target of an earlier swatting call.

On December 23, a bomb threat came in for the same area. FOX Carolina reported that officers set a perimeter around the church before learning the caller had given a fake Main Street address and made a general threat against Christmas shoppers. A bomb-detection dog found nothing, and police treated it as another hoax.

What safety teams can take from it

• Plan for swatting, not just real attackers. A hoax call brings armed officers to your doors in minutes, expecting a threat. Your team should know how to meet police calmly, hands visible, and hand them a floor plan and keys.
• Your daycare is part of your threat picture. The caller named the daycare on purpose. Weekday children’s programs need their own lockdown and evacuation drills, with staff who know them by heart.
• Know your neighbors’ plans. A threat at one church locked down a school, two daycares and Main Street. Share contact info with nearby schools and businesses so you can warn each other fast.
• Expect repeats. Swatters often come back to the same target. After a hoax, keep extra watch for a few weeks and review what went slow the first time.
• Write it all down. Log the time of the call, what was said, and who did what. It helps investigators and makes your next drill better.