Homeland Security monitoring school threats
For the second time in two weeks Wednesday, Ohio Homeland Security monitored threats made to multiple Ohio schools, including those in Southwest Ohio.
Officials at Oakdale Elementary School in Green Township, Edgewood Schools in Butler County, and West Clermont Schools in Union Township reported that students and staff were safe after threats were called in to their schools.
Dustyn Fox, public information officer at Ohio Homeland Security, said officials are working with the Greater Cincinnati Fusion Center and the Ohio Department of Education to notify schools across Ohio of the threats and "monitor the situation."
The Fusion Center is a regional cooperative effort among public safety and health agencies in Greater Cincinnati to thwart terrorist activity.
Fox could not confirm if the threats are connected or how many have been reported in Ohio.
Ohio Homeland Security said the FBI was already investigating multiple threats made against schools Sept. 25. including the Endeavor Elementary in the Lakota School District.
Officials at Oakdale Elementary School said a bomb threat was called in at 9:55 a.m. and Green Township Police responded. The bomb squad cleared the school building and the parking lot around 11:30 a.m.
Edgewood City Schools were evacuated due to a bomb threat called in around 10 a.m., according to the Butler County Sheriff's Office.
The Edgewood elementary, middle and high schools were evacuated and nothing suspicious was found.
"We received information that this happened in several other adjacent counties around the same time," Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones said in a news release.
Jones said the caller used what sounded like a digital or computer-generated voice.
“We received information that this happened in several other adjacent counties around the same time. We do not know if they are connected or if it is the same person but it is being thoroughly investigated. We take any and all threats of harm very seriously. This individual needs to be arrested quickly and taken off the street,” Jones said.
The West Clermont Local School District reported reported Summerside Elementary School in Union Township received a threat around 9:50 a.m. Students and staff were evacuated and the building was deemed safe by law enforcement.
The Talawanda School District in Oxford, Ohio, received a report that an unidentified person may be a threat to a school in Butler County, according to a release from Holli Morrish, a district spokeswoman. No threat was found and schools operated on a regular schedule.