REGION — UPDATE @ 9:05 p.m: Eaton police confirm they have increased patrol the past couple of days after threats of violence were made against community schools.
There were separate threats made against two middle schools where students overheard another student threatening acts of violence.
Both students were suspended from the schools and though officials are investigating the incidents as criminal, no criminal action has been taken.
Parents and students were notified of the threats through a phone call.
UPDATE@6:30 p.m. (Feb. 22)
A 10-year-old boy who threatened to bring a gun to school at Piqua Central Intermediate School has been charged, Piqua Police Chief Bruce Jamison said Thursday.
The boy, who is not being named because he’s a minor, was charged with false alarm, a first degree misdemeanor, Jamison said.
The boy told students at the bus stop Wednesday that he would bring a gun to school Thursday, prompting officers to take action, the chief said.
UPDATE @ 3:15 p.m.
The threat at Miamisburg High School was found not to be a credible one, Superintendent David Vail said. “We didn’t feel there was any imminent danger and it was not a viable threat,” he said Thursday afternoon.
RELATED: Arrests and felony charges for threats made in other districts
“Unfortunately, with social media it snowballed and induced a lot of panic.” The district is taking action with a handful of students who were discovered to be part of the threat or who posted information on social media that “may have increased or perpetuated the panic or misconception of what was going on,” he said.
Vail said it is unclear at this point whether those singled out will be criminally charged or be disciplined under district guidelines only. No students were removed from school property on Thursday, he said. But he noted officials were still in the process of meeting with all of the students thought to be involved.
The district on Thursday made calls to all parents of high school students informing them that the threat was found not to be credible, Vail said.
Contending with “social media is certainly sometimes an uphill battle,” he said. “We would like people to confirm things before they spread them.”
At the same time, Vail said district officials encourage anyone who sees suspicious activity or hears anything that may pose a danger to make sure it is reported.
UPDATE @ 2 p.m.
In Miamisburg, more police officers were at the high school Thursday after a threat that was discovered on a bathroom wall the day before, according to Miamisburg Police Department Sgt. Will Ring.
The unspecified number of officers at the school were in addition to the district’s school resource officer. Ring indicated that no arrests have been made and the investigation is continuing.
EARLIER REPORT:
Piqua, Miamisburg, and Springfield police investigated threats made by students.
The latest threat came Thursday morning with a post on social media threatening a shooting at Springfield-Clark Career Technology Center.
Springfield police are aware of the threat and have increased patrol at the school. Officials have also spoken with the school’s Superintendent about the threat of violence.
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No word on if parents or students were informed of the threat, as a Springfield CTC representative could not be reached for comment.
Miamisburg police Sgt. Joshua Himan said a threat of violence was found written on a bathroom wall at Miamisburg High School on Wednesday.
No one has been arrested yet, and Miamisburg police and schools are investigating.
There will be extra patrols at the school Thursday, Himan said.
RELATED: Springfield, other districts investigate vague school shooting threat
The threat referenced "tomorrow" but it's unknown how long it was on bathroom wall.
In Piqua, Police Chief Bruce Jamison confirmed his office is investigating a threat that involved a student whom attends Piqua Central Intermediate School.
Jamison though would not reveal any specifics about the threat, including whether it was against a school or individual or referenced any weapons.
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Piqua police were made aware of this threat Wednesday afternoon and "eliminated the threat,” Jamison said, by ensuring it could not be carried out. He declined to elaborate.
Jamison said there have been increased police patrols at Piqua schools since the school shooting in Florida last week.
"Ever since last Thursday it's just been a steady stream of threats of different levels, different types, we do threat assessment on every one of them," Jamison said. "I would really encourage people not to repeat things online; they usually don't have the facts. We're seeing increased reporting. People are hyper-sensitive whenever they hear things."
