On Tuesday, August 20, 2024, the Austin Police Department (APD) was made aware of a credible threat at Graham Elementary School in northeast Austin. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) received a tip about an Instagram user making concerning statements online. APD investigated the case, along with the FBI, Austin Independent School District Police (AISD PD), and the Travis County District Attorney’s office. The Instagram user, identified as 17-year-old Giana Castillo, was charged with 3rd Degree Felony Terroristic Threat and was taken into custody (APD Case #24-2331338). The parents are cooperating with law enforcement. AISD PD added additional patrols at Graham Elementary since learning about this threat.

It is important to note that this incident came on the heels of the recent Austin Regional Intelligence Center (ARIC) School Safety Symposium that was offered to all public safety personnel, secondary education staff and security directors, and threat assessment professionals in the private sector, in early August. The goal was to create constant collaboration between public safety, ARIC, federal partners, mental health professionals, and educators, to keep each other informed of potential threats prior to an event happening.

Thanks to partnerships and training opportunities such as these, this credible threat was stopped, a suspect was quickly identified, and taken into custody.
 
“We’re committed to keeping our community safe and have taken measures to prevent any threats. We’re currently recruiting and onboarding additional police officers in compliance with HB 3 to expand coverage districtwide, including at every elementary school,” said Austin ISD Police Chief Wayne Sneed. “Last year we also partnered with the Travis County Sheriff's Office to use the old Rosedale School facility as a training center for active threats on campus. We’ll continue to work regionally to prepare for any threats, including completing annual tabletop crisis exercises with regional law enforcement, partner organizations, and healthcare teams to ensure in the case of any crisis, we’re able to quickly respond.”
 
Thanks to the partnership with APD, the FBI, and AISD PD, a possible tragedy was prevented and our community remains safe. This case is a testament to the importance of staying vigilant and reporting suspicious behavior, both in person and online.
 
These regional and national partnerships are key to clear communication pathways and quick action when threats come to light. This continued collaboration with our law enforcement partners will allow our students to learn in safe and secure environments.

"Partnership is a pillar of effective law enforcement and essential to everything we do. We appreciate our partners at the Austin Police Department and the Austin ISD Police Department, who continuously work with us to make sure kids in Austin are learning in a safe environment. They share our dedication to protect the people of Texas,” said Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp of the FBI's San Antonio Field Office. “We depend on individual residents, our private sector partners and others in the community to speak up and report it when they notice something suspicious. We encourage everyone to visit FBI.gov/prevent to learn more about preventing mass violence. Together, we can make a difference and stop those who seek to do harm in our communities."

The Austin Police Department and our partners, encourage anyone that sees or hears something suspicious or out of the ordinary, to report it immediately by calling 9-1-1. This is an active and ongoing investigation and no further information is available at this time.