North Paulding High School Student Arrested for Hoax Threats

(Paulding County, GA) At approximately 1:42 PM on Wednesday, February 28, 2018, Paulding County E-911 received a call from an individual who stated that a female student at North Paulding High School (NPHS) had texted him indicating that someone was at NPHS with a gun. The complainant further stated that the female student indicated that the alleged suspect was trying to enter classrooms while armed. Paulding E-911, in turn, alerted Deputies and School Administrators of the alleged threat. Multiple Deputies responded to NPHS and quickly located the female student who sent the messages, ultimately determining that the incident was a hoax and that no one had a gun at NPHS today.
As a result of their investigation, NPHS junior Ava Nicole Paige Casteel was arrested and charged with the following offenses:

Ava Nicole Paige Casteel (W/F, 17 YOA)

• False Statements (Felony)
• False Public Alarm (Felony)
• Disruption of a Public School (Misdemeanor of a High and Aggravated Nature)
• False Report of a Crime (Misdemeanor)

As many of you are well aware, there was a threat written on the wall of one of the bathrooms at NPHS on Tuesday, February 27, 2018. Deputies and School Administrators have been actively investigating that incident as well. As of now, we do not have any reason to believe that Casteel was responsible for writing that threat on the bathroom wall. Deputies and School Administrators are actively trying to determine who wrote that threat on the wall.

Sheriff Gary Gulledge remarked, “Our country is in a state of turmoil with school shootings and school shooting threats. Our students need to understand that if a threat is made, whether it is written on a wall, a desk, or published and shared on social media, we will arrest and prosecute those students to the fullest extent of the law. This type of criminal behavior has to stop today!”
On Monday, February 26, 2018, there was a similar incident at Hiram High School where a student wrote a threat on a bathroom wall alleging a school shooting would occur. Deputies and School Administrators were able to determine that a 16-year-old female student was responsible for writing the threats. The student was arrested and charged with the below-listed offenses and was detained at the Rome Regional Youth Detention Center.

16 YOA Female Juvenile

• Terroristic Threats (Felony)
• Criminal Interference with Government Property (Felony)

The Paulding County Sheriff’s Office, the Paulding County School District, Paulding E-911, the Paulding County Fire Department, and the Paulding County Emergency Management Agency work hand in hand to quickly get information out to parents and members of the community when incidents like this occur. Please subscribe to our social media pages on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to get up to date information on community-related events.