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Gainesville High Bomb Threat Suspect Arrested After Standoff at Flowery Branch Home
Police arrested 58-year-old Carlos Arevalo, who allegedly called in a bomb threat that locked down Gainesville High School on Thursday. Investigators say the threat was not AI-generated and that Arevalo may have been seeking attention over grievances with the government.
GAINESVILLE, Ga. â A 58-year-old man was taken into custody Thursday after authorities say he called in a bomb threat that forced Gainesville High School into lockdown, prompting a multi-agency response and a brief armed standoff at a Flowery Branch home.
Hall County 911 received a call Thursday reporting a bomb at the school, according to Capt. Kevin Holbrook of the Gainesville Police Department. Officers immediately responded to the campus, placed the school on lockdown and searched the grounds. No explosives were found.
As the investigation unfolded, Gainesville police reached out to state and federal law enforcement partners to determine whether the threat might have been generated by artificial intelligence, a tactic that has been used in a string of recent school threats across the country. Holbrook said investigators concluded the call was most likely not AI-generated and appeared to come from a local caller.
Police identified Carlos Arevalo as the suspect and arrested him at a home in Flowery Branch with help from the FBI and the Hall County Sheriff's Office. Holbrook said authorities found Arevalo on the rear deck of the residence with a firearm in his possession. Negotiators persuaded him to exit through the front door, and officers took him into custody without further incident.
Holbrook said investigators believe Arevalo "possibly had issues with the government" and "was trying to seek attention" to draw a law enforcement response. He is not believed to have any connection to Gainesville High School.
According to Holbrook, Arevalo had previously faced charges in Hall County. Investigators reviewed video footage from that earlier case and compared it with Thursday's 911 call to identify him as the suspect. Police have not specified the charges he now faces.
The incident was at least the third school threat reported in metro Atlanta this week. On Wednesday, police in Atlanta briefly locked down North Atlanta High School and Midtown High School after reported threats. The week's earlier lockdowns were lifted after authorities determined there was no danger.
The repeated disruptions have renewed concerns among parents and school staff about the strain such threats place on students and local emergency resources, even when they turn out to be hoaxes. District officials have not said whether Gainesville High School will adjust its schedule or security procedures in the coming days.
This is a developing story. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Gainesville Police Department.