Whetstone High School locks down after staff report student with knife

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A Columbus City School is reopening Tuesday afternoon after a Level 3 lockdown for over an hour as police detained a teenager reported with a knife.

Police dispatchers told NBC4 that officers responded to an incident involving a person with a knife at Whetstone High School in Clintonville. School administrators reportedly announced a Level 3 lockdown beginning at around 11:30 a.m.

A Columbus City Schools spokesperson said that a student not enrolled at Whetstone entered the building and created “a disruption in the hallway” while in possession of a knife. District safety and security specialists, along with a building administrator worked to de-escalate the situation.

The building remained on lockdown until police arrived and detained the student. The school confirmed there were no injuries and police cleared the scene just before 1 p.m.

In an email sent to parents, Whetstone principal Janet Routzong wrote, in part, “It became necessary to place our building on a Level III Lockdown as a precaution due to a security issue when a student who does not attend Whetstone High School entered the building. Safety and Security and our administrators quickly de-escalated the situation. Shortly after, our Safety and Security team found this student to have a knife. Our students and staff remained secure in their classrooms during this lockdown period.”

“The Columbus Police Department responded to the incident and detained this individual…. There were no injuries during the disruption.”

According to Columbus City Schools safety guidelines, a Level 3 lockdown indicates there is an emergency on school grounds. Students in halls or restrooms must move to the nearest classrooms. All doors, interior and exterior are to be immediately locked, with windows and door panels covered if it can be accomplished safely.

CCS guidelines also state that students are to sit on the floor and out of sight of windows and teachers are instructed to take attendance of the class, including names of students who entered from the halls. Staff and students are not to follow public address announcements and may only be released by police or an administrator.

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