Holliston police received an anonymous call Friday morning reporting that a student at the local high school had, as they heard it, a “bomb” in their car. They reacted swiftly, notifying Holliston High School administrators, working with school officials to cordon off the school parking lot, and pulling the suspected student out of class.

However, it appears the call connection may have been a bit, ahem, clouded.

According to an incident report posted on Facebook, school, police, and fire department officials, through interviews and “other electronic means,” were able to identify both the anonymous caller and the student who was suspected to have the supposed bomb in their car. But when school officials interviewed the caller (who they did not identify), the student “immediately, emphatically and convincingly” told them that they had called to report a “bong” in the other student’s car, not a “bomb.”


As this was happening, the suspect-student was also removed from their class and all the students in the same class were “ordered to leave their belongings in their class and they were then moved to a separate classroom,” Holliston Public School officials said. School administrators, police, and fire officials went on to interview and search the student, as well as their backpack, locker, and car.

“The search of the student-suspect’s car confirmed the caller’s words were misunderstood,” officials said.

Realizing the misunderstanding, officials said the parking lot was reopened and normal class resumed Friday morning.