LEWIS CENTER, Ohio — Olentangy High School was on lockdown Tuesday afternoon after a report of a threat in the building.
According to the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to the school due to an alleged threat. As of 1:45 p.m., the sheriff’s office said the incident appeared to be a swatting hoax, which multiple schools in Ohio and other states have been victims of.
Deputies continued clearing the building to make absolutely sure no threat exists.
As of 2:15 p.m, the search of the building was complete, and the building was considered safe and secure. No injuries were reported.
The sheriff’s office originally said:
“Regarding a potential school threat: The full resources of the Sheriff’s Office have secured OHS. We are now searching the building to make sure everyone is safe. We have NOT verified if any shots were fired. As of 1:12 pm there are no injuries.”
According to the district:
Olentangy High School is currently on LOCKDOWN due to an alleged threat.
During a Lockdown, students and staff are trained to enter or remain in a locked room and maintain silence.
DO NOT COME TO OLENTANGY HIGH SCHOOL. If parents feel they want to be close by, they may park at the Lewis Center Kroger. Please stay away from the area and await further information.
Olentangy Schools has a standard response protocol for keeping students safe during an emergency. The SRP is based on five actions: Hold, Secure, Lockdown, Evacuate, and Shelter and is provided at no cost to the district by the I Love U Guys Foundation.
Swatting refers to the act of reporting a false crime or emergency with the intention of eliciting a response from law enforcement. This dangerous practice has become increasingly common in recent years, causing panic and putting both innocent individuals and law enforcement officers at risk.
Earlier this year, Sheriff Russell Martin expressed support for a bill that would make swatting a felony.
“In the last two years, we’ve experienced five calls that were determined to be ‘swatting’ in Delaware County alone. The nature of these calls is not a prank, nor is it the least bit amusing. The resources requested and the risks incurred when anyone makes these fake calls is not only annoying, but very dangerous for all those involved. I support the Ohio General Assembly’s effort to make this offense a serious criminal act,” Martin said in January.