CINCINNATI — Two Cincinnati Public Schools students were arrested after making false threats against two different schools, Superintendent Iranetta Wright said in a message to students, parents and staff.
Gamble Montessori High School was placed under a "lock out" as Cincinnati police investigated a school threat Wednesday morning. That same day, Shroder High School was dealing with a "swatting situation."
Swatting incidents involve fake 911 calls to deploy emergency responders to a scenario that isn't real. Some Ohio lawmakers are currently working to make swatting a felony charge.
"Swatting appears to be done to spread fear among school communities and/or disrupt learning environments," Wright said Thursday. "Simply put, some students are looking for a day off from school."
The district did not release the names or ages of the students involved but said that they have been expelled and now face criminal charges and potential fines that their families will likely have to pay.
"Please speak with your child about the severity of making any threats to any school community. If a threat is made verbally or written, our team will respond immediately," Wright said.
The district said it takes all threats seriously and has a message for any potential copycats.
"Creating fake social media accounts or obtaining a fake phone number to send threats via text will not likely keep law enforcement from locating persons who issue threats," Wright said.
In the past three months, there have been nearly 10 threats made at various schools across the Tri-State, including an incident at Turpin High School where a student was charged after allegedly threatening to shoot students and blow up a bus.
Princeton High School was among several Ohio schools targeted by a national active shooter hoax in September. Police received a 911 call claiming there was an active shooter inside the school with 10 people injured. When police responded, they deemed the call a hoax.
Schools in Dayton, Springfield, Newark, Toledo and the Cleveland area all received 911 calls about possible active shooters as well, which were deemed hoaxes. WCPO affiliates in Colorado, Missouri and more also reported similar swatting situations.
Since the start of the 2022 school year, there have been more than a dozen threats made against districts, schools, teachers or students across the Tri-State.
READ MORE:
Ohio lawmaker introduces bill that makes 'swatting' a felony
'It’s affecting the entire community': 5 Tri-State school districts face threats in one week
Schools adding police presence ahead of TikTok challenge calling on students to make threats Friday
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