Hiram High School Student Arrested for Making Threats

(Paulding County, GA) On Friday, March 2, 2018, at around 1:00 PM Deputies were investigating an incident at Hiram High School where a student was alleged to have had some threatening messages on their social media account regarding a school shooting. Deputies quickly learned that the alleged messages were pertaining to the incident that took place in Polk County, Georgia on Thursday, March 1, 2018, where Polk County Schools were placed on lockdown for a threat. Once it was determined that these posts were not threats against a school, they were removed from the social media platform they were posted on.
While Deputies were speaking with these students, they were alerted of a possible school shooting threat that was made on a Paulding County school bus on Wednesday, February 28, 2018, during the afternoon ride home. Deputies, working in conjunction with Paulding County School District administrators, obtained the video from the school bus and confirmed that a female student stated multiple times that she would “shoot up the school” using some expletives and other inappropriate language. A Hiram High School junior was arrested and charged with the following offense:

• Hiram High School Student Layla Deshaun Njie (B/F, 17 YOA)
• Terroristic Threats (Felony)

As we have been saying all week, if a student makes a threat and we can prove its validity, we will make an arrest and charge that student with the corresponding crime. Parents, please have a serious and candid discussion with your children about the severity of making these kinds of threats whether they are made in a joking manner or not. Making threats to harm students at a school is NOT A JOKE.
Since the individual, in this case, is 17 years old, we would like to make a point of clarification to our citizens about juveniles and how they are charged with criminal offenses in the State of Georgia.
In the State of Georgia, a juvenile is considered to be anyone under the age of 18. However, and this is something that most people do not understand; an individual can be considered to be both an adult and a juvenile at 17 years old. If a 17-year-old commits an offense that would warrant them going to an adult jail, they are charged as an adult and go to an adult jail. That also means that their mugshot or booking photograph along with their charges are subject to the Georgia Open Records Act and are open for the Sheriff’s Office to release or anyone from the public to access this information. If a 17-year-old commits a “status offense” they would be subjected to the penalties and sentences of the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice and the Juvenile Court System. Some examples of status offenses are a runaway, truancy, disorderly juvenile, disobedient to parents (continuously), and curfew violation.