Toombs County High School Student Arrested for Social Media Threats, Charged with Terroristic Threats

On September 6, 2024, at approximately 6:20 a.m., the Toombs County Sheriff’s Office was notified by the Toombs County School System regarding a concerning social media post referencing a potential shooting. Although the post did not mention any specific schools, law enforcement was alerted because the individual responsible for the post, Ezequiel Medina, 17, of Lyons, was a student at Toombs County High School.

Medina had shared a post on Facebook that read, “A friend sent me this but idk if it’s true but yall be safe,” accompanied by a screenshot stating, “You Toombs county ppl are getting shot up tomorrow can’t wait.” The school staff member who saw the post reported it to Superintendent Barry Waller, prompting the notification of law enforcement.

Though the post did not explicitly indicate that the school or its students were targets, the fact that Medina was a Toombs County High School student initiated a law enforcement investigation. The Lyons Police Department was called in to assist with the inquiry.

At approximately 7:08 a.m., a Toombs County Deputy and Investigator arrived at Medina’s residence at 102 Cardinal Road in Toombs County. Medina was detained for questioning. Initially, he claimed a friend had sent him the screenshot, and he did not know who made the original post. However, after further investigation, Medina confessed to creating the post himself. This was corroborated by interviews with his friend, who had no involvement.

Law enforcement conducted a thorough search of Medina’s residence but did not find any firearms or evidence supporting an immediate threat. Medina was transported to the Sheriff’s Office, where he provided investigators with another post he had made shortly before the one reported to law enforcement. The earlier post stated, “Toombs County High School is next tomorrow,” but was removed by the platform due to guideline violations.

Despite Medina’s statements and the absence of evidence suggesting imminent harm, authorities charged him with two counts of Terroristic Threats (felony) and Criminal Attempt to Commit Disrupting of a Public School (misdemeanor). Additional law enforcement officers were deployed to Toombs County schools as a precautionary measure for the rest of the day.

The Sheriff’s Office extended thanks to the Lyons Police Department and the Toombs County School System for their cooperation in handling the incident.