A threatening phone call to the main office at Shaker Heights High School sent students and staff into a brief shelter-in-place order today, as police swept the building and nearby streets before giving the all-clear.
Police assessed building, classes resumed
According to Cleveland 19, administrators moved students and staff indoors while Shaker Heights Police checked the campus and declared it safe. The outlet reports there were no injuries and that officers planned to "maintain surveillance" for the rest of the school day, so learning could continue with an extra layer of caution.
Road closures and neighborhood advisory
News 5 Cleveland reported that Van Aken Boulevard was briefly shut down between Ashby and Lee while officers worked in the area. A shelter-in-place advisory for the Kemper Road neighborhood was also issued and later lifted. The station notes that the advisory was connected to a separate incident in Cleveland, and residents were told to steer clear while police wrapped up their investigation.
District updates and what shelter-in-place means
The Shaker Heights City School District posted time-stamped messages on its emergency page stating that the high school shelter-in-place was ordered at about 12:23 p.m. and lifted around 12:30 p.m., and that officers would remain on campus to support the building, according to the district. The district’s emergency information explains that a shelter-in-place is ordered to protect from an external threat or condition, such as severe weather or crime in the community, and it urges families to follow official updates instead of calling school offices while a response is underway.
Context: a string of threats this month
This incident follows other recent threats in the district. On April 17, a threatening phone call at Shaker Heights Middle School led to students being ordered to shelter inside, and Cleveland 19 later reported that a 13-year-old was taken into custody in connection with those middle-school threats. School and police officials have said they take every call seriously and will keep coordinating to protect students.
The district says it will continue to communicate directly with families and post updates on its emergency page, and it asks parents not to call the school so phone lines stay open for emergency use. Families are urged to watch the district’s emergency page and local news outlets for official information while officers finish their work on campus.
