15-Year-Old Georgia Teen Found Safe After Going Missing For A Week

Photo Courtesy of Columbia County Sheriff's Department

A 15-year-old Georgia teen, who went missing after traveling by bus to Atlanta to visit friends has been found.

According to the Columbia County Sheriff’s Department, Kalana Johnson boarded a bus in Augusta and arrived at Atlanta’s Forsyth street a week ago. She hadn’t been since. Kalana was last seen at a Holiday Inn Express in Augusta around two in the morning. The teen was dressed in athletic gear– green jogging pants, black and white Nike gym shoes and a black tee with a green logo.

The Columbia County Sheriff’s Department shared Kalana’s story on its Facebook page on October 26.

Black women and girls were reported missing at disproportionately higher rates, but garnered less media coverage. The National Crime Information Center published a report in 2020 that detailed that 268,884 women and girls went missing. Of that number, 34% or 90,333 are Black. They make up 15% of the female population within the U.S.

Details around Kalana’s return have not been disclosed, but we are glad that she’s safe.

Keka Araujo

The Editorial Director of Sister 2 Sister and News Onyx with a penchant for luxe goods and an expert salsera. Always down to provide a dope take on culture, fashion, travel, beauty, entertainment, celebrities, education, crime, and social issues with an emphasis on the African diaspora. My work can be seen on Blavity, Huffington Post, My Brown Baby, The Root, Very Smart Brothas, The Glow Up and other publications. Featured panelist on NBC, The Grapevine, various podcasts, Blavity, Madame Noire, Latina Magazine and MiTu.