CINCINNATI — Police responded to apparent "swatting" calls at three different Cincinnati-area schools Friday.
Around 11:15 a.m., CPD responded to Seton High School in West Price Hill. The school told WCPO 9 it went on lockdown as police searched the area. Elder High School, which is directly next door to Seton, was also placed on a "soft lockdown," meaning students, staff and faculty were prohibited from leaving classrooms.
According to a statement from Elder, Seton received a phone call from an unidentified person saying there was a person seen near the school with a gun.
Both schools were cleared and no threat was found by 11:30 a.m., Elder said.
Just after 1:45 p.m., WCPO 9 heard scanner traffic, which sounded similar to the report at Seton, dispatching police to Purcell Marian High School in East Walnut Hills.
CPD on scene at Purcell Marian told WCPO 9 that there was no credible threat at the high school, appearing to be another swatting incident.
Around 3:15 p.m., Woodward High School in Bond Hill also received a shooting threat.
A CPD officer on scene told WCPO 9 that the threat wasn't credible.
The four schools are the latest Tri-State schools to be affected by apparent swatting incidents.
In November, Colerain High School went into lockdown after some type of false threat was made. At that time, the ATF office in Louisville said similar threatening calls were made in Louisville, Evansville and Lexington.
As of 2023, swatting is a felony in Ohio. Anyone who reports false or misleading information to a law enforcement agency, emergency service provider or public safety answering point can be found guilty of a fourth-degree felony, which could mean prison time and potentially thousands of dollars in restitution.
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