Charges are pending against Tony Franks in connection with Thursday's bomb threat.
/ Courtesy: Horry County PD
HORRY COUNTY -- Horry County police arrested a 52-year-old Garden City man, Tony Franks, in connection with a bomb threat that occurred Thursday morning at St. James High School.
Around 8:38 a.m., the Horry County Police School Resource Officer assigned to St. James High School was told that a bomb threat was called into the school.
The man on the phone told the receptionist at the front desk that there were two devices within the school that would go off within 30 minutes. Police say the caller then hung up.
Based on the threat, school administrators evacuated the building.
Both Horry County police and State Law Enforcement Division bomb experts responded to sweep the building. Nothing was found and students were allowed back in the building after about two hours.
Horry County police spokesman Sgt. Robert Kegler says the investigation led them to Franks at a home on Jay Street in Garden City.
They say they recovered the phone used to make the call.
Sgt. Kegler said supervisors of the police violent crimes division had to pull resources off active searches for two double homicide suspects who are considered armed and dangerous and a threat to society in order to investigate this case.
Kegler said, "The Horry County Police Department will not tolerate the continued practice of Bomb Threats being called into and written at our schools. We will continue to utilize our resources as needed to investigate these incidents along with identifying and arresting any suspects found to be responsible."
Franks is in custody, and charges are pending against him.
