Threatening phone calls sent three Olentangy Local School District high schools into lockdown Monday, flooding campuses with law enforcement while students and staff sheltered in place. Families later reported that the lockdown was lifted and that buildings were moved to a more limited “secure” status while deputies remained on scene to investigate.
According to 10TV, the threats targeted Olentangy, Berlin, and Orange high schools in Delaware County. The Delaware County Sheriff’s Office and other agencies responded to each campus. A sheriff’s spokesperson told the station the calls matched a pattern seen in recent “swatting” incidents, and investigators were working to track where the threats came from.
What Officials Said
The district’s emergency guidance explains that Olentangy Schools sends rapid alerts to parents and keeps buildings secured until law enforcement clears them, per Olentangy Schools. On Monday, parents described receiving messages and then trading updates in neighborhood Facebook groups and on Reddit, where commenters said deputies eventually gave the all-clear. Even after that, schools remained in a restricted “secure” mode while officers continued their presence outside.
Where This Fits in a Wider Pattern
The calls came amid a broader wave of hoax-style threats that have been hammering schools in recent days. In the Philadelphia region, the FBI has opened investigations into a string of similar swatting calls, Action News reported.
Ohio has been caught up in the trend, too. A May 1 threat that forced a lockdown at Medina High School was ultimately determined to be a swatting call, a reminder of how fast a single report can trigger a full-scale emergency response, according to Cleveland 19.
Legal Consequences and Investigation
Swatting is not treated as a prank in the eyes of prosecutors. It can bring serious state charges and federal counts on top of that. The Department of Justice has pursued serial swatting callers in high profile cases and has documented prison sentences for people convicted.
Federal and homeland security officials have also issued public resources and playbooks for how agencies should handle hoax threats and swatting incidents, according to the DHS. Locally, investigators in Delaware County are working to trace Monday’s calls.
What Parents Should Know
District leaders have urged families to stick with official school and district channels for updates, rather than reposting unverified messages that can muddy the picture during an emergency, per the district’s emergency guidance. Parents are also asked to avoid crowding pickup and drop-off areas so first responders can move freely.
Anyone who has information about the threatening calls is asked to contact the Delaware County Sheriff's Office through its non-emergency lines or online tip forms so investigators can follow up.
