Oxford police say they traced a bomb threat that prompted a lockdown at Oxford Middle School on May 19, 2026, to a juvenile in Texas, who is now in custody.
School resource officers at the middle school responded after staff received a blocked-number phone call to the front office, the Oxford Police Department said. Officers immediately placed the building on lockdown, secured students and established a perimeter and incident command.
The department said the school safety plan was activated, students and staff were evacuated and moved to a reunification site so families could be reunited. Once the building was empty, officers and K-9 units conducted a room-by-room search for any threats.
Investigators began tracing the origin of the call as soon as it was reported and, through investigative techniques, identified a juvenile in Texas who is now in custody, the department said.
“The safety of the students in our community remains our top priority at the Oxford Police Department,” Chief Jeff McCutchen said. “We are grateful for our relationship with the Oxford School District and their dedication to school safety. This is why it’s so helpful to work together with our school district and other local emergency responders to train these scenarios like we did this past January.”
The department thanked the Oxford School District, Oxford Fire Department, University Police Department, Lafayette County Metro Narcotics Unit, Lafayette County Sheriff’s Department, Mississippi Highway Patrol, Southaven Police Department, MSU Police Department, DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office and local emergency medical services for their response. We will provide more information as it becomes available.
