18-year-old charged in ‘fake explosive device’ evacuation of WCHS

Above, RSW MUG shot of suspect Caleb Sutphin; below image from Facebook page of Front Royal resident Caleb Sutphin.

An 18-year-old suspect has been charged with manufacturing a fake explosive device in the Friday afternoon evacuation of Warren County High School.

Caleb Sutphin, of Deerhaven Road, Front Royal, has been charged with a Class 6 Felony.  That charge includes the description “manufacture, possession, or use of fire bombs, explosive materials or device.”

Warren County Sheriff’s Office Investigators, School Resource Deputies and the County Fire Marshal all questioned Sutphin before he was charged.  He was initially being held in the RSW Regional Jail without bond.

The Sheriff’s Office Press Release issued shortly after 6 p.m. Friday did not elaborate on whether Sutphin was a student at the school or what motive may have been involved.

The Front Royal high school was evacuated shortly after noon on Friday after a “suspicious package” was found after a fire alarm was set off at the school.  The initial alarm went out at 12:09 p.m.

The County Sheriff’s Office acknowledged the help of Virginia State Police Explosive Technicians in determining the suspicious package to be “a non-functional hoax device”.

Local authorities also received assistance from K-9 units from both the State and Mount Weather Police Departments in sweeping the school facility and parking lots for additional devices.

Any person with information pertaining to this incident is asked to call Lt. Gordon Foster at (540) 635-4128.

Photo/Roger Bianchini