“Everyone is safe, classes resumed as usual for students and athletics will go on as planned tonight,” according to a district statement.
Multiple EMS vehicles and sheriff’s cruisers were on the scene Tuesday at the school at 4444 Middle Urbana Road about 12:30 p.m. By 1 p.m., deputies departed the school grounds.
Kenton Ridge officials had ordered a shelter-in-place command after the call that referred to a possible active shooter, according to district officials.
The district statement said deputies conducted an investigation and confirmed this was a swatting incident, which are threats made to schools with the purpose of triggering a response by police and first responders.
“Swatting incidents instill fear and panic throughout school communities and disrupt first responder agencies. These incidents can be traumatic for everyone involved and cause anxiety for our families, students, staff and community,” the district stated.
Elissa Satterly, of Springfield, was among the parents to come to the school that day to pick up her son.
She said she received a call from a loved one about a report of a shooting in the school and drove to the school, parking up the street to wait with a group of other anxious parents. Some received calls from relatives, and others saw posts about the incident on social media.
“It’s that moment of wanting to make sure your child is safe,” she said.
Similar bogus calls have happened at other schools locally, in Ohio and around the country in recent months.
Last year in Clark County, hoax calls about shootings at Catholic Central were made in both September and October.
“We are extremely grateful to the Clark County Sheriff’s Office and all other emergency responders for their immediate response to Kenton Ridge High School,” the district statement said. “From what we saw today, it is clear that our emergency response procedures were carried out properly by our students, employees, and law enforcement officials.”
Dayton Public Schools said Tuesday that Thurgood Marshall High School was placed in a brief “shelter in place” situation for about 11 minutes after a false 911 call reporting a shooting at the school. Police responded immediately and found the call was a hoax.
In what was determined to be a false 911 phone call to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, a caller said a white male student brought a gun to the school and shot four students.
Northwestern schools also briefly locked down for safety reasons because of the Kenton Ridge incident, but reopened with two German Twp. police officers in front of the building as a precaution.
Northwestern Schools locked down briefly for safety reasons. A possible threat at a neighboring school prompted the...
Posted by Northwestern Local Schools on Tuesday, March 21, 2023
