Paulding school shooting threat being investigated

Less than a month after arresting a student for threatening to shoot people at Paulding County High School, the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday night announced that it had found a message threatening a shooting at another high school.

According to the sheriff’s office, administrators at East Paulding High School found an anonymous message written on a restroom wall that stated a weapon would be brought on campus and there would be a school shooting Friday. School officials then called the sheriff’s office to investigate the matter.

"It is possible this information is unreliable, however, the Sheriff's Office and School District must pursue the investigation to ensure the safety of our students and staff," the sheriff's office posted on its Facebook page. "At this point, the Sheriff's Office has concluded that the threat is random and has not been substantiated, however all threats are taken seriously."

Friday’s classes at East Paulding High will be conducted as scheduled, but the district plans to have a heightened law enforcement presence on the campus.

Last month, Paulding authorities arrested a student for allegedly threatening to shoot people at Paulding County High School. The arrest came a few hours into an investigation into the threat, though law enforcement officials did not release details as to how the threat was made.

The boy, whose name and age were not released, was charged with terroristic threats, disruption of a public school and being an unruly juvenile.

“We do want to encourage our parents and students to have an open line of communication with faculty, staff and law enforcement any time they have information regarding events of this nature. Additionally, please discuss the serious consequences associated with making any threat to your children,” the sheriff’s office wrote.

Anyone with information that may help detectives is asked to call the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office at 770-443-3010.