Multiple schools across Ohio receive ‘hoax threats,’ Cincinnati FBI says

CINCINNATI (WXIX) - Cincinnati FBI is investigating a series of multiple “hoax threats” made to schools across Central and Southern Ohio Wednesday.

Four school districts in the Tri-State were forced to evacuate or put students and staff into lockdown because of the potential threats.

Mason City Schools, Indian Hill Exempted Village School District, Eastern Brown Local Schools and Cincinnati Public Schools all reported getting threats this morning.

Officials with the districts later reported that there is no credible threat and that all students and staff are safe.

LIST | Ohio schools placed under lockdown after threat

Indian Hill High School

According to Indian Hill Schools, the high school evacuated students and staff due to a potential bomb threat.

District officials said Indian Hill Rangers responded to the high school around 11 a.m. to help evacuate the building and secure the scene.

Indian Hill Middle School was also evacuated as a precaution. Students have been transported to Indian Hill Elementary School.

Rangers completed a full sweep of the building around 1 p.m., and determined it is safe for students and staff to re-enter and get their belongings.

School will resume as normal on Thursday, March 5.

Walnut Hills High School

A school lock-in has been lifted at Walnut Hills High School after they also received a bomb threat.

Cincinnati police assessed the situation and determined the area is clear. The school went back to its normal operations thereafter.

“Out of an abundance of caution, the school administration immediately alerted the Cincinnati Police Department and the Cincinnati Public Schools’ security team. Both investigated the threat, including sweeping the school’s interior and exterior. No suspicious items were found, and students and staff are safe,” Cincinnati Public Schools wrote in a statement.

Mason High School

Mason High School also became a victim of a threat this morning.

Mason City Schools officials said the high school received a threatening phone call at 10:50 a.m. They did not say what was said over the phone, but it prompted the high school to go into a soft lockdown.

Mason police and the school’s Campus Safety team investigated the area and tried to trace where the call came from, officials said.

As a precaution, Mason Middle School, Mason Intermediate School and Mason Elementary School were also put on a soft lockdown.

“During the investigation, we also learned that schools in several nearby communities reported receiving similar threatening messages today, which law enforcement agencies are actively investigating,” Mason City Schools said in a statement.

At 11:44 a.m., police determined there is no credible threat and the schools went back to their normal operations.

Eastern Brown High School

Similar to the other three school districts, Eastern Brown High School received a threat, prompting a heavy law enforcement presence.

The Brown County Sheriff’s Office says they were notified at 11:10 a.m.

The high school and Eastern Brown Middle School were both put into a lockdown.

“During the course of the investigation, it was determined that approximately 35 similar threats were reported to schools throughout the State of Ohio around the same time. Authorities are coordinating efforts with state and local partners to investigate the source of these threats. The investigation into the origin of the threat affecting Eastern Brown Schools remains ongoing,” the sheriff’s office wrote online.

No credible threat was found at the school, the sheriff said.

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