COLUMBUS – Nearly a dozen schools across Ohio reportedly experienced “swatting” incidents on Friday, false active shooter reports that resulted in responses by police and forced school officials to lock down buildings as a precaution.
These false alarms have become a nationwide problem and the Ohio School Safety Center says it is working with the Statewide Terrorism Analysis and Crime Center, as well as schools and local law enforcement, to investigate all threats, even though those deemed to be hoaxes.
“While some of the threats have been determined to be false through law enforcement investigation, the OSSC takes all threats to schools seriously and recommends that schools and first responders do the same,” center officials said in a statement.
Swatting incidents were reported last week in the Licking Valley school district, as well as at schools in Cincinnati, Dayton, Cleveland, Chillicothe, Springfield, Akron and elsewhere, according to the FBI.
The center encourages schools to communicate with students, staff, and community members about the appropriate way to report threats and concerns of safety through the school’s anonymous reporting system, directly to local law enforcement or through the use of the state’s Safer Ohio School Tip Line.