Gun Threat Gets Paulding Student Arrested For Felony Hoax

PAULDING COUNTY, GA — A 17-year-old North Paulding High School student was arrested Wednesday after falsely saying someone was trying to enter a classroom with a gun.

Ava Nicole Paige Casteel, a junior, was arrested and charged with felony making a false statement, felony false public alarm, disruption of a public school and false report of a crime.

At approximately 1:42 p.m. Paulding County E-911 received a call from an individual who stated that a female student at North Paulding High School had texted him indicating that someone was at the school had a gun. The caller said a female student indicated that someone was trying to enter classrooms while armed.

Paulding E-911 alerted deputies and school administrators of the possible threat. Multiple deputies responded to the school and quickly located the student who sent the messages, ultimately determining that the incident was a hoax and that no one had a gun.

The arrest comes a day after a threat was written on the wall of one of the bathrooms at North Paulding High School. Deputies and school administrators have been investigating that incident as well, according to police.

As of now, authorities do not have any reason to believe that Casteel was responsible for writing the threat on the bathroom wall. Deputies and school administrators are trying to determine who is responsible.

“Our country is in a state of turmoil with school shootings and school shooting threats," said Paulding County Sheriff Gary Gulledge. "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 Feb. 26, 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 felony terroristic threats and felony criminal interference with government property. She was detained at the Rome Regional Youth Detention Center.

Photo courtesy Paulding County Sheriff's Department