Two Marietta Businesses Targeted by Hoax Bomb Threats Weeks Apart

The Marietta Police Department is investigating two separate bomb threats made in less than two weeks—both of which were determined to be hoaxes but caused major disruptions and public concern.

Threat #1:
Just before midnight on Friday, September 26, officers responded to Johnnie MacCraken’s, located at 15 Atlanta Street, after a bomb threat was reported. The business was evacuated and nearby roads were closed as officers investigated. It was later determined that 29-year-old James Lusk of Marietta had started an altercation inside the business and was ordered to leave shortly before making the threat. Lusk was arrested on warrant 25-W-8347 and charged with Simple Battery (misdemeanor), False Public Harm (felony), and False Report of a Crime (misdemeanor).

Threat #2:
Around 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 8, officers were dispatched to Lovely Bodies Gym at 598 West Atlanta Street after a caller claimed to have placed explosives outside the building and demanded $50,000. The gym was evacuated and roads were closed while the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office bomb squad investigated. About an hour later, the scene was declared safe and the call was confirmed to be a hoax.

Police say that false reports like these are not victimless crimes, as they cause unnecessary fear, strain emergency resources, and disrupt the community. The investigation into the October 8 threat remains ongoing.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Marietta Police Department. Tips can be submitted anonymously through the MPD app or by calling Crime Stoppers Greater Atlanta at 404-577-8477.