At least 35 schools in Ohio received threatening phone calls Wednesday that turned out to be a hoax, according to the Ohio Department of Public Safety.
State, local, and federal authorities are sharing information and working together to identify the perpetrators, said DPS. They also said this is part of a nationwide pattern of this type of criminal activity, and that Ohio was the state they focused on following the calls.
A number of those schools were in Northeast Ohio, which prompted lockdowns and a police response.
The phone number was spoofed and investigators are still working to determine the source of the calls. Local law enforcement said they're confident they'll find the perpetrators.
Gov. Mike DeWine was asked about it Thursday at a press briefing.
He said the impacted schools did exactly what they should have done Wednesday and continue to do what they should be doing now, which is working with local law enforcement.
"That’s the only way to really deal with these random calls," said DeWine. "Schools have to take them seriously. They can’t just walk away and pretend they didn’t hear it. So, they’re doing what’s right. If it works, they get the kids right back in school and that’s what you need to do."
Local law enforcement stressed the immediate and collaborative responses on Wednesday at a number of campuses, saying officers and deputies were on scene within minutes.
The executive director of the National Association of School Resource Officers, Mo Canady, said Thursday that SROs play a critical role.
He said this type of criminal activity has been on the rise nationwide for several years, and SROs are familiar with the very real impact these hoax threats can have on the mental health of students, staff, and families.
"They're that law enforcement presence in the building, relationships are really important there," said Canady. "Having an SRO and having them engaged in this from the very beginning, one of the things that really helps is that the SRO can help to more quickly diagnose this issue and try to bring resolution to it more quickly than otherwise."
Swatting, or falsely reporting an emergency to cause a law enforcement response, became a fourth-degree felony in Ohio in 2023, because of a rise swatting calls to schools. It is punishable by prison time, fines, and possible restitution for the cost of the law enforcement response and more.
