WEST CHESTER, Ohio — Two Lakota students are facing criminal charges after three schools went on lockdown Monday.
Someone from "outside the school" called in a tip to the Ohio School Safety Tipline about a student with a gun. After an investigation, Lakota Local Schools found the student did not have a gun but did have ammunition and a magazine on him.
Now that student and one other are each facing charges of inducing panic. Police said they were taken to the juvenile detention center.
Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Lolli told WCPO the student who is accused of bringing ammunition to school is a male and attends Lakota West Freshman School.
"While I was a little surprised, we acted very quickly," Lolli said. "Kids tell, kids talk, they noticed and social media is really the place where we pick up most of our clues. We don't know that there's an absence of a weapon until we do a thorough search, until we have conversations with students. So any time you bring anything that can be harmful to another person to yourself, it's concerning."
The initial safety alert that went out said, "Under the advisement of the West Chester Police Department, we have issued an internal lockdown at Creekside ECS, Lakota West Freshman and Lakota Central High School based on a tip we received from the Ohio School Safety Tipeline. All students and staff are safe."
Police said the threat was made specifically to the Lakota West Freshman building, but Central and Creekside were also placed on lockdown as a precaution, because of their close proximity to the freshman building.
West Chester Police sent out a release letting everyone know about the lockdown just before 2 p.m. However around 2:12 p.m., the district sent out a release letting parents know the lockdown was over.
"We all wish that students would never have to face these threats and never have to live under this insecurity in their learning environment," said Julie Shaffer, Lakota board member.
While the district said they don't know what the student's intentions were bringing ammunition to school, they stressed the accused student did not make a threat.
"We're glad that our students care enough to follow through with a tipline," board member Kelly Casper said. "We always try to reinforce if you see something, hear something, say something."
When asked if the student could face expulsion, Lolli said it would be decided at the hearing.
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