Members of the Allen County Special Weapons and Tactics unit conduct training exercises at Bath schools.
Photo provided courtesy of the Allen County Sheriff’s Office
WAPAKONETA — A Snapchat conversation warned of a threat directed at Wapakoneta schools.
Further investigation revealed the original social media post made no threat toward the district, but the Wapakoneta Police Department sent officers to patrol Wapakoneta schools on Sept. 12 to comfort students and parents, according to a Facebook post from the police department.
“If you come across a social media post that is concerning, we ask that you contact our department before reposting on social media,” the Wapakoneta Police Department wrote on Facebook.
The incident is one of several alleged threats or security incidents at local schools this fall.
Elida High School went into lockdown on Oct. 4 when a student found a threatening note in the boys’ restroom.
Days earlier, the Allen County Sheriff’s Office and FBI investigated the source of a TikTok video that allegedly threatened Elida students. The sheriff’s office investigated two separate alleged threats directed at Bath students that same week.
The Hardin County Sheriff’s Office took a 16-year-old Ridgemont student into custody in September after the teenager reportedly threatened students at the high school.
And American Township Police pressed charges against at least one teenager seen holding what turned out to be a pellet gun in the parking lot outside Elida Elementary School in September.
Hoaxes proliferate on social media
Allen County Sheriff Matt Treglia said his office has investigated at least eight threats directed at local schools since 2022.
Most threats are not credible, Treglia said. Many are directed at schools in another state or county, and many are copycats, he said.
“We exhaust every option possible, no matter what time of day or night,” Treglia said. “If our uniform patrol gets it at third shift, 3 a.m., they’re calling our detectives. Our detectives are coming in. They’re searching IP addresses trying to figure out where things are coming from.”
The Ohio School Security Center launched an anonymous tip line (844-723-3764) to process reports about suspicious activity, threatening statements and other security concerns, which are directed to local law enforcement and school administrators.
The tip line is accessible by call, text or web form 24 hours a day.
Some districts established their own tip lines to process reports of bullying or potential threats, but administrators say few if any tips are reported through either line.
Instead, most reports come from students or social media, said Wapakoneta Superintendent Aaron Rex.
Administrators are not always able to act if reports are vague or anonymous, said Karl Lammers, superintendent of Kalida schools.
Still, administrators say they coordinate with law enforcement as soon as they learn of a potential threat to determine whether it is credible and identify the source.
Social media prompts extra security
In some cases, administrators are asking law enforcement to boost patrols outside their schools even when they determine there is no credible danger to students or staff, particularly when the threat originated on social media.
Elida schools requested additional law enforcement presence on Sept. 30 in response to a threatening TikTok.
Law enforcement took an individual into custody the day prior and concluded there was no danger to the school, but the district boosted patrols “out of an abundance of caution,” according to a news release from Elida schools.
The sheriff’s office increased patrols at Bath schools the same week when an alleged threat was directed at students there, though detectives had already taken two students into custody and concluded there was no danger to the school, according to a news release from Bath.
When a Snapchat conversation caused a scare at Wapakoneta schools in September, the Wapakoneta Police Department increased patrols too. It also asked people to report concerning social media posts to law enforcement instead of sharing the posts on their own social media feeds.
“That is the fastest, best way to get us involved to figure out what is true and what is not,” Sheriff Matt Treglia said.
Parents asked to restrict access to firearms
Schools often draft safety plans and refer students to social workers, school counselors or outside mental health agencies when the student poses a risk to themselves or others.
At Perry schools, those safety plans include a form asking parents to remove a child’s access to weapons.
The district employs its own counselors, social worker and school-based health clinic to support students’ mental health needs, and works closely with outside agencies like SAFY Behavioral Health, Big Brothers Big Sisters and the National Youth Advocacy Center to provide mental health services and mentorship programs to students as needed.
The safety plans go a step further, asking parents to search their child’s belongings for weapons each day, remove access to drugs or alcohol and supervise their child’s internet access and text messages.
Superintendent Kelly Schooler described the forms as a proactive measure to protect students and staff, and remind families “of the importance of securing firearms away from children.”
The forms are even more timely now that parents in some states are being prosecuted for providing their children access to weapons, she said.
