Cincinnati police say three West Price Hill schools, Elder High School, Seton High School and St. Lawrence, were placed on lockdown Friday after a reported shooting threat. Officers swept the area around Glenway Avenue and Carson Avenue, then cleared the buildings and gave students and staff the all clear. Investigators said details about the original call were still murky as they worked to figure out whether the threat was credible.
Officers with CPD's District 3 confirmed the lockdowns at Elder and Seton, two Catholic high schools that sit side by side off Glenway, and said nearby St. Lawrence on Carson Avenue was also placed on lockdown, according to WCPO. The station reports the precaution was tied to a possible shooting threat call and that Elder told reporters it had received the all clear.
FBI Warning and a Hoax Threat Pattern Across Ohio
The West Price Hill scare comes as schools across Ohio deal with a surge of similar "hoax" threats this spring. The FBI has warned that even calls later deemed fake are treated as real emergencies and can amount to federal crimes, according to FOX19. When multiple districts are hit, local and federal investigators often work together to trace anonymous calls and sort out which threats, if any, are credible.
Why Police Jump Quickly on Threats Near Campuses
Recent violent incidents in West Price Hill keep officers on edge, and any report of danger near a school is handled with extra caution to protect students and staff. A recent neighborhood shooting that left one person hospitalized highlighted why police move fast when something happens near campuses, according to local reporting from WLWT.
What Families Should Know
Parents and guardians are urged to rely on official updates from school administrators and the Cincinnati Police Department for the latest information. Seton shares contact details and alerts through its contact page, Elder lists directions and a main office phone line on its site, and families at St. Lawrence can look to Archdiocese listings for school contact information. Police ask anyone with information about the threat call, or who notices suspicious activity near any campus to report it to local law enforcement right away.
