MARIETTA, Ga. — The Marietta Police Department said a man was arrested after calling in a fake bomb threat at an Irish pub.
Police said it was one of two recent bomb threats the department had dealt with, though the incidents were not related to each other.
According to the Marietta Police Department, James E. Lusk was charged with making a bomb threat, making a false public alarm, simple battery and making terrorist threats on Sept. 26.
Lusk’s arrest report shows he threatened people at Johnnie MacCracken’s Celtic Firehouse Pub, as well as the pub itself, including the business owner.
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Police said morning watch officers were sent to MacCracken’s after a bomb threat was made.
When officers got to the bar, they had security evacuate the building and began a search for suspicious items or an explosive device.
Witnesses told police they thought they knew who had made the call, with bar staff saying a customer named James was removed from the bar for being disorderly earlier that night.
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The police report said witnesses saw Lusk acting as if he were a security guard and asking other customers for their IDs at the door and that at one point, Lusk had grabbed a female bartender by the arm and yelled at her when she tried to stop him from harassing other customers.
When Lusk left, another bartender told police they got a call from Lusk, who yelled at them for being kicked out.
Police said Lusk soon after called in the bomb threat. Lusk was later arrested and the bar reopened.
While Lusk was arrested for the September fake bomb threat, Marietta police said they are still investigating a second threat called in on Wednesday morning to the Lovely Bodies Gym.
Police said someone called the business saying they had placed explosives outside and demanded $50,000. The business was evacuated and roads were closed while it was under investigation.
The Cobb County Sheriff’s Office bomb squad searched the building for explosives, determining it was a hoax.
“False reports of a crime, especially bomb threats, are not victimless. We must acknowledge the mental and emotional stress they cause the community, all emergency personnel that respond, as well as the disruption of businesses and traffic flow,” police said in a statement.
Marietta officers are still working to determine who the suspect was for the second threat and it remains under investigation.
Anyone with information can submit tips to the Marietta Police Department through the MPD app or call Crimes Stoppers at 404-577-8477.
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