COLUMBIA TWP., Ohio — Investigators say a 12-year-old boy in Florida was responsible for a false report of a school shooter at Columbia High School this week. The child was arrested in his home state and could face additional charges in Ohio for the hoax that prompted real panic.
“My hands were shaking, my eyes were filling up. I immediately texted my son, ‘Hey, are you ok? What’s going on?’” said Tabatha Esposto.
The mother of a Columbia High School sophomore told News 5 that initial reports about a lockdown at the school and social media comments about a reported shooter sent her into a panic.
“That’s my biggest fear, my biggest fear. I’ve asked my son before, ‘Are you scared to go to school? Do you ever have these fears?’ We’ve talked about it in the past. And he’s like, ‘Yeah. You never know when you’re going to hear pop pop.’ And that’s just pathetic. It’s pathetic,” she said.
According to the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office, an anonymous caller claimed to be outside of the high school Thursday morning with an assault rifle, preparing to shoot students and staff.
“We put in our emergency protocol and procedures immediately,” said Columbia Schools Superintendent Graig Bansek.
He explained the call immediately prompted a lockdown and large law enforcement response.
“The sheriff’s office was everywhere. They were coming in in swarms, long guns directly on their laps as they got out of their cars. There were undercover cars, there was at least one dog, they had a drone,” Bansek said.
He said after a thorough search, it became evident the call was a hoax and there was no active shooter.
Though it was a fake call, he said the emotions were real.
“The anxiety that goes with a situation like this, I would never wish it on anybody,” Bansek said.
Esposto said, “The gut-wrenching pain that I actually physically felt, it was nauseating.”
Investigators tracked the IP address from the Google Voice number used to make the call to a home in Hawthorne, Alachua County, Florida. The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office then questioned and arrested a 12-year-old boy in connection with the swatting call.
“Yes, it’s very sad that it’s a 12-year-old that we’re dealing with. But let’s take the age out of it… and [look at] what that young man caused,” said Bansek.
The boy was charged with a second-degree felony in his home state and could face additional charges in Ohio.
“Regardless of the age, I hope they throw the book at him. Period,” said Bansek.
The false report is part of a larger national trend. It wasn’t even the only swatting incident in Lorain County this week.
On Friday morning, Elyria Police responded to reports of a shooter at a PNC Bank on 2nd St. When officers arrived, they found the building empty and determined the call had also been a hoax.
Friday evening, EPD said a 33-year-old suspect was arrested in Lorain. Investigators said the man admitted to making the false report as a diversion to hinder police from looking for a wanted individual.
“Making these types of threats, whether it’s someone locally or from across state borders, comes with a heavy set of consequences,” said Ken Trump, the president of Cleveland-based National School Safety and Security Services.
He said swatting incidents have become increasingly common at schools and elsewhere over the past decade.
According to statistics from the Educator’s School Safety Network, swatting was the most common violent incident in 2023 when the latest data was available. The number of swatting incidents jumped by 546% from just 5 years earlier.
Esposto said she was grateful for the way Columbia Schools handled the situation on Thursday, but she said the panic is something she’ll never forget.
“No parent should have to hear all this,” she said.
The 12-year-old suspect is charged in Florida for making a false report concerning planting a bomb, an explosive, or a weapon of mass destruction, or concerning the use of firearms in a violent manner. He’s also charged with unlawful use of a two-way communications device.
Catherine Ross is the Lorain County reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on X @CatherineRossTV, on Facebook CatherineRossTV or email her at Catherine.Ross@wews.com.
