A report of an armed person near Western Hills High School briefly sent that campus and neighboring Dater High School into lockdown Wednesday, as Cincinnati police swept the area and secured buildings before giving the all clear. District officials later confirmed students and staff at both schools were safe.
According to WLWT, officers responded around 12:45 p.m. to an aggravated menacing call near Western Hills High School. Because the suspect was believed to be armed, both Western Hills and Dater were placed on a brief lockdown while police investigated. The precaution was lifted once officers determined there was no active threat to the schools.
How Schools Handled The Alert
Cincinnati Public Schools' emergency procedures instruct school leaders to call 911, activate a lockdown, notify Safety Services and a school resource officer, and keep classrooms secured until police give the all clear. Those steps, outlined in the district's emergency procedures, match the precautionary measures school officials and officers used Wednesday. For details on the district's protocols, see Cincinnati Public Schools.
A String Of Campus Scares This Spring
This alert is the latest in a string of campus precautions across the city this month, including a May 15 shooting threat that briefly closed several West Price Hill schools. The FBI has also been involved in probing suspicious calls to area campuses earlier in May, as documented by FOX19, which helps explain why authorities continue to treat every report near a school with urgency.
What Families Should Know
For emergencies, families are instructed to call 911. For non emergencies, the city's Emergency Communications Center lists 311 or 513-765-1212 as contacts for police dispatch. Parents and guardians are urged to rely on official school and police communications for updates and to report any suspicious activity to law enforcement, per city guidance. The Cincinnati Emergency Communications Center maintains contact and reporting information on its site for residents.
