OTTAWA HILLS, Ohio — Reports of a shooting at Ottawa Hills High School Friday morning were a hoax, police have said.
The reports of a shooting around 8 a.m. sent police and fire officials from Ottawa Hills and surrounding departments to respond to the school and prompted concern among parents and the community.
No one was injured and authorities have concluded the call about a shooting was a hoax.
Superintendent Adam Fineske announced at a 10:30 a.m. news conference that classes would be canceled for the day.
"We followed our plan, everyone's safe," Fineske said.
Ottawa Hills school officials announced mid-morning that parents of junior high and senior high students could pick up their children at the nearby elementary school.
Parents were required to have an ID to pick up students at the elementary school gym. School officials directed parents to park on Manchester Boulevard and walk to the gym.
Officers from multiple agencies, including Toledo police, University of Toledo police, Ohio State Highway Patrol and Lucas County Sheriff's Office, responded to the school.
"With Ottawa Hills being in the middle of Toledo, I think the police officers were able to get here quick, which we're thankful for," Fineske said. "They did a great job."
Fineske also said teachers did a good job keeping students calm and reminding them of what they have learned from active shooter drills.
"The fear somebody puts into the children is the most frustrating thing to me," Ottawa Hills Police Chief John Wenzlick said. "Obviously it's a waste of resources and these officers could be doing other things. But we'll take care of the kids and make sure they know this was false. And on the police side, we'll look at areas where we can improve in the future."
Nearby resident Jessica Meade told WTOL 11 she heard sirens and saw approaching police and fire vehicles just after dropping off her daughter, who is a kindergarten student, at the nearby elementary school.
"It's really scary, especially when you have a child in school," Meade said. "What's going through my daughter's head right now at the elementary school? Because even though it's not in the same building, it's heartbreaking. You have parents texting and calling and asking hey what's going on because they know I live right across the street."
Fineske also expressed frustration.
"We are working so hard here at school coming out of the pandemic and getting our kids back in the classroom and getting them caught up on things they got behind on," he said. "We want to focus on academics, teaching kids, helping kids, and having them enjoy their experience. Unfortunately, it's a bit of the world we're living in."
Fineske and Wenzlick sent a letter to parents Friday afternoon. When students return to class Tuesday after the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, they can expect:
- A greater presence of Ottawa Hills Police will be at both buildings at arrival, dismissal and throughout the school day and at evening activities.
- Our school counselors and a team of extra crisis counselors will be available for students at both buildings all week.
- Therapy dogs will be present Tuesday at the start of the day at the junior/senior high school and during recesses at the elementary school.
In November, Start High School and Liberty-Benton High School both were targeted by a swatting hoax that involved schools across Ohio.
The FBI confirmed it was investigating the incidents in which a male with a heavy accent called 911 centers and reported school shootings.
“The Cleveland FBI is aware of the swatting incidents in Northern Ohio," the agency said in a release. "The FBI takes swatting very seriously because it puts innocent people at risk. While we have no information to indicate a specific and credible threat, we will continue to work with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to gather, share, and act upon threat information as it comes to our attention.”
The Lucas County Sheriff's Office, University of Toledo police, Sylvania police and Ohio State Highway Patrol responded to the scene along with Ottawa Hills and Toledo authorities.
At 8:30 a.m., students could be seen standing outside the school building. A parent told WTOL 11 that parents were being sent to the school stadium.
Toledo police informed St. Ursula Academy they no longer needed to be on lockdown. At approximately 9:50 a.m., representative from St. Ursula told parents in an email that the school would close for the remainder of the day in response to the situation. Officials said students were released in an orderly manner and advised drivers to avoid the Ottawa Hills High School area.
Shortly after the shooting report, Ottawa Hills school officials released the following statement to parents regarding the situation:
"At this time for precautionary reasons the elementary school remains on lockdown. All students are safe. No students are injured. Students from the Junior/Senior high are being escorted to the elementary school new gym. We are following directives from the police. The elementary school will continue to remain on lockdown. We will communicate more information as it becomes available."
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