FBI investigating multiple swatting incidents in Northeast Ohio

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - The Cleveland office of the FBI is investigating another round of swatting, or false reports of active shooters at Northeast Ohio schools.

Around 10:00 a.m., a heavy police presence was spotted at Rhodes High School in Cleveland’s Old Brooklyn neighborhood for unconfirmed reports of a shooting.

As of late Wednesday night, neither the Cleveland Police Department nor Cleveland Municipal Schools have commented on the incident.

The Summit County Sheriff’s Office confirmed deputies were called to Coventry High School around the same time as the Cleveland incident.

“The deputies patrolled inside the school and found no issues within the school. The call was determined to be a hoax,” Inspector Bill Holland said in a news release.

19 News’ sister station, WTVG, in Toledo reported similar incidents in Toledo and Findlay.

In a 911 call to Toledo police, a man claimed multiple people were shot inside Start High School.

“He came in the classroom, shot six students,” he said. “When he tried to shoot me, he just missed me.”

The FBI released the following statement:

“The Cleveland FBI is aware of the swatting incidents in Northern Ohio. 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. We urge the public to remain vigilant, and report any and all suspicious activity and/or individuals to law enforcement immediately.

Nearly identical scenarios played out in Columbus and Cincinnati.

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