COLUMBUS — What started as reports of threats at five Central Ohio schools Wednesday morning turned out to be part of a much larger wave of hoax threats that hit school districts across Ohio, from Cleveland and Toledo in the north to Cincinnati and Dayton in the south.
The FBI said it found no credible threats and is working with local and state law enforcement to track down whoever made the calls.
How It Started in Columbus
Columbus police responded to bomb threats at Metro Early College High School on East 19th Avenue and Columbus Alternative High School on McGuffey Road. Both schools were cleared before noon. Columbus City Schools officials said they were looking into whether the threats were timed to disrupt ACT testing scheduled for that day.
In the Columbus suburbs, Bexley High School received a bomb threat at approximately 10:40 a.m. Bexley Police Chief Gary Lewis called it a swatting incident — a false report made to trigger a heavy police response. A K9 unit swept the building and cleared it within an hour. Gahanna Lincoln High School evacuated students around 12:40 p.m. and brought them back after about two hours. Dublin police cleared Jerome High School after investigating a threat there as well.
It Was Not Just Columbus
As the morning went on, reports of similar threats came in from school districts across the state. Schools in the greater Cleveland area, including Geauga County, reported lockdowns. Toledo-area schools and Bowling Green were also hit. In southwest Ohio, districts in Cincinnati, Dayton, Kettering, and Mason reported threats. Chillicothe and Lancaster also received calls.
Residents in multiple cities confirmed on social media that their local schools had been affected, describing lockdowns and evacuations similar to those in Columbus.
FBI: No Real Danger, But Investigation Ongoing
The FBI’s Cincinnati field office issued a statement Wednesday saying it was tracking the threats across Central and Southern Ohio.
“The FBI is aware of a number of hoax threats in Central and Southern Ohio,” the agency said. “While we have no information to indicate a credible threat, we are currently working with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to gather, share, and act upon threat information.”
No arrests have been announced. Investigators have not confirmed publicly whether the threats across different cities are connected or came from the same source.
All investigations remain active.
This article is based on statements from the Columbus Division of Police, Bexley Police Department, Gahanna-Jefferson City Schools, Lancaster Police Department, Dublin Police Department, and the FBI Cincinnati Field Office. Community reports of additional school threats in other Ohio cities have not been independently confirmed by ColumbusFrontline.com through official sources.
Updated: March 5, 2026