Welcome to Arrest Stories. A twenty-five-year-old Berkeley County school custodian was arrested after being discovered hiding in a high school girls' locker room closet during a basketball game. Here's what may have happened.
On Thursday night during a girls' basketball game between Martinsburg High School and visiting Hedgesville High School in Martinsburg, West Virginia, William Howard Shoup was found hiding inside a closet within the visiting team's girls' locker room. Shoup, who worked as a custodian for Berkeley County Schools, was discovered during the ongoing basketball game.
The Martinsburg City Police Department was contacted immediately and responded to the school, where Shoup was apprehended. He was subsequently booked on twenty-nine criminal charges and is being held on one point three million dollars bail.
According to officials, Shoup had previously passed a comprehensive hiring process that included background checks for all employees. However, following his arrest, authorities confirmed he will not be returning to the school or to Berkeley County Schools.
School administrators from both Martinsburg and Hedgesville worked closely with law enforcement in the immediate aftermath. All students involved were interviewed by law enforcement and school administration, and families were contacted the same evening.
On Friday, a statement was posted addressing the incident, stating "What happened is deeply concerning, and our priority is supporting the students and families impacted. We are cooperating fully with law enforcement and will take every appropriate step to ensure accountability and to strengthen supervision and access procedures around student areas at school events."
The statement also noted "The safety and dignity of our students is non-negotiable" and expressed appreciation for "the quick action and urgency demonstrated by Martinsburg City Police Department."
Shoup pleaded not guilty to all twenty-nine charges at his arraignment.
All suspects presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Do not take this report as factual, always verify facts. Thanks for watching Arrest Stories.