Cuyahoga Falls High School lockdown lifted after social media threat

A lockdown at Cuyahoga Falls High School on Thursday morning has been lifted after city police determined a threat shared on social media did not originate from within the high school.

"In collaboration with the Cuyahoga Falls Police Department, we feel confident that students and staff are safe and there is no longer a threat. As a result, the lockdown has been lifted, and students will be in a place and secure. Students will be able to change classes and education will resume," the district said on social media.

School is resuming for the remainder of the day, but parents can pick up their children if they want to following normal sign-out protocols. Parents of students with last names A-G should go to the Welcome Center, last names H-O should go to Thomas Court and last names P-Z should go to the band doors (Stow Avenue), the district said.

“There was a threat that was shared over social media. The police are currently investigating this threat and working with school district officials. We know that the threat is not inside any of the buildings," said Christine Stewart, the district's coordinator of community relations. "Out of an abundance of caution, Cuyahoga Falls was placed in a lockdown status...There is absolutely no threat inside the building."

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On whether the threat was related to the high school itself or if it was only geographically close to the school, Stewart said the district "not prepared to release that information yet."

"Everybody is safe, and the police believe that they have kind of figured out where this threat has come from," she said. "But we're not releasing those details until we're 100% sure."

The lockdown began between 9 and 9:15 a.m. Thursday, with a unit principal at the high school instituting the lockdown after he became aware of the threat. Stewart said she was unsure how he became aware of the threat.

The district's two middle schools, Bolich and Roberts, and an elementary school, DeWitt, were put in a "place and secure" status, "which means that they weren't allowed to move about the building," Stewart said.

The district made an all-call to families Thursday morning.

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This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cuyahoga Falls High School lockdown lifted after swatting call