Marietta police investigate second bomb hoax in two weeks

Marietta bomb threat scares

For the second time in two weeks, Marietta police responded to a bomb threat that forced evacuations, road closures and heavy emergency response. Both turned out to be hoaxes.

MARIETTA, Ga. - For the second time in two weeks, Marietta police responded to a bomb threat that forced evacuations, road closures and heavy emergency response.

Both turned out to be hoaxes.

What they're saying:

Police say the latest threat came Wednesday morning when a 911 caller claimed explosives were outside Lovely Bodies Gym on West Atlanta Street and demanded $50,000. Officers quickly evacuated the building, shut down surrounding roads and called in the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office bomb squad to search the area. No explosives were found.

"I heard sirens and then I seen multiple cop cars," said Nyjua Mallett, who works at the gym. "They searched the whole parking lot, the cars around the building, inside."

Two weeks earlier, a similar scare unfolded at Johnnie MacCracken’s Pub on Atlanta Street. That call came just before midnight on September 26, when a caller warned that a bomb would go off at midnight. Police flooded the area, evacuated the bar and blocked nearby roads.

"Four fire trucks, 20 police cars. Roads were blocked off in every direction," said Gary Leake, the pub’s owner.

Leake said his employees lost money that night when the bar had to close. "They took a hit on their tips," he said.

What we know:

Investigators later arrested 29-year-old James Lusk of Marietta, who police say had been thrown out of the pub earlier that night after starting an altercation. Lusk was charged with simple battery, false public harm and false report of a crime.

Marietta Police Officer Chuck McPhilamy said these kinds of hoaxes put people at risk and drain public resources. "This is no laughing matter and the people making these hoax calls will be held accountable," he said.

What's next:

Police are still investigating who made the threat to the gym. 

What you can do:

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