FOLEY, Ala. — A Foley High School student arrested Thursday is accused of claiming to have a firearm on campus, according to the Foley Police Department, which said officers searched several areas of the school and did not find a gun.
Police did not identify the student, release the student’s age or say what charge or charges the student faces. The department said the case will be handled by the Juvenile Court of Baldwin County.
The student has been accused, not found responsible. Like any person accused of wrongdoing, the student is presumed innocent unless and until the allegations are proven in court.
What police say happened
According to Foley police, the department investigated after a claim that a student had a firearm at the high school on Thursday, Oct. 29. Officers searched several areas of the school, and no firearm was found, police said.
Police credited school staff with moving quickly to alert the officers assigned to the campus.
“We’d like to thank the Foley High School staff for their quick action in alerting our School Resource Officers about this situation. Their cooperation and assistance in this investigation are greatly appreciated.”
Police did not say how the claim was made, whether it was made in person, in writing or online, whom it was made to, or whether classes were disrupted while the search took place.
Key facts
- Where: Foley High School, Foley
- When: Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026
- What: A student is accused of claiming to have a firearm on campus
- Search: Officers searched several areas of the school; no firearm was found
- Status: The student was arrested; the case will go to the Juvenile Court of Baldwin County
- Investigating agency: Foley Police Department
Why the case is going to juvenile court
In Alabama, most cases involving young people under 18 who are accused of breaking the law are handled in juvenile court rather than in adult criminal court. Juvenile court is a division of the court system that focuses on accountability and rehabilitation, and its procedures differ from adult court. A young person is not “convicted” of a crime there; instead, a judge decides whether the child is delinquent and, if so, what supervision, services or other conditions should follow.
Juvenile proceedings and records are generally kept confidential under Alabama law, which is why police typically do not release the names of minors who are arrested and why few details may become public as the case moves forward. In some serious cases, prosecutors can ask a juvenile court judge to transfer a case to adult court, but police have given no indication of that here.
Foley police have not said which offense the student is accused of. Any charge would be determined through the juvenile court process.
School resource officers on campus
Foley High School is part of Baldwin County Public Schools, and the Foley Police Department assigns School Resource Officers to schools in the city. School Resource Officers are sworn law enforcement officers who work on school campuses. Their roles typically include responding to safety concerns, working with administrators on security planning and serving as a point of contact between students, staff and police.
In Thursday’s case, police said staff members alerted those officers, who then took part in the investigation and the search of the campus.
Threats are treated seriously, even when no weapon is found
Across Alabama and the nation, schools and police treat any claim of a weapon on campus as a potential emergency until it can be ruled out. That generally means officers respond immediately, search the areas where a weapon could be, and investigate the person who made the claim, even if the statement later turns out to be untrue or is described as a joke.
Alabama law treats threats involving schools seriously. Under the state’s terrorist threat law, which lawmakers rewrote in 2023, a credible threat that disrupts school activities can be charged at the more serious first-degree level, a felony. Students can also face school disciplinary consequences separate from anything that happens in court. Police have not said whether any such law applies in this case.
Guidance for parents and students
Incidents like this one are a reminder for families to talk with children about how seriously schools and police take any mention of a weapon. Law enforcement and school safety officials generally offer the following advice:
- Remind students that claiming to have a weapon at school, even as a joke, can lead to arrest, juvenile court and school discipline.
- Encourage students to tell a teacher, administrator, counselor or School Resource Officer right away if they see or hear anything concerning, including posts on social media.
- Do not share or repost unverified rumors about threats, which can spread fear and slow down investigators.
- Pay attention to changes in a child’s behavior, and reach out to school counselors if a student seems to be struggling.
How to share information
Foley police asked anyone with further information about Thursday’s incident to contact the Foley Police Department or a school official. In an emergency, call 911.
The investigation is continuing, and police said the case will proceed in the Juvenile Court of Baldwin County.
