Police: Middle school student made threat that caused lockdowns at Middletown, Lakota schools

The text was received by the Middletown wellness center on the high school campus at 7:40 a.m. today, Chief David Birk and schools Superintendent Marlon Styles said at a news conference.

All Middletown schools were put on lockdown during the investigation, and officers located the student and the phone from which the text was sent. The student confessed, Birk said.

Lakota East High School and the Lakota East freshman campus were also put on lockdown. Birk said police pinged a phone with a number associated with the number from which the alleged threatening text was sent, which caused those lockdowns. There was no threat at Lakota schools, Birk said.

The student will be charged with felony inducing panic, Birk said.

UPDATE @ 12:32 p.m.

The lockdown has been lifted at all Middletown and Lakota schools.

A news conference has been called in Middletown at 1:45 p.m. today to discuss the investigation.

After the lockdown was cancelled, Lakota Schools Spokeswoman Betsy Fuller read a statement to the Journal-News in front of the main entrance, saying the police action there was connected to an investigation into a threat at Middletown Schools.

“We were investigating a possible student connection to a threat against Middletown City Schools,” said Fuller.

“After a completion of the investigation by the Butler County Sheriff office and the Middletown Police department, it was determined that the threat’s connection to Lakota East was unfounded,” she said.

The lockdown began at 11:31 a.m. and lasted approximately one hour, she said.

INITIAL REPORT

All Middletown schools and two Lakota district schools are on either lockdown or soft lockdown as police investigate a threat made this morning.

All Middletown schools are on a “soft lockdown” because of the police investigation. Lakota East High School is on lockdown, and Lakota East Freshman campus is on a soft lockdown in connection to the investigation.

“Police units are on scene searching for a suspect possibly connected to a threat made to Middletown City Schools,” Lakota schools posted.

A system that confirms appointments for the wellness center on the Middletown High School campus received a threat this morning, according to a Middletown Schools spokesperson. That text message was received at about 7:30 a.m. today.

Officials are working to locate the person who made the threat.

A Middletown city spokesperson said officials are interviewing a 76-year-old man in connection to the incident.

Middletown students are being taken lunch in their classrooms during the soft lockdown, the district said. Information is being shared in the building over the speaker system.

We will update this story as we learn more.