INDIAN HILL, Ohio — Threats have prompted lockdowns and evacuations at multiple Tri-State schools, local districts have announced.
Indian Hill Exempted Village School District announced both its high school and middle school were evacuated Wednesday after a bomb threat.
A release says the school district received a "potential bomb threat" at Indian Hill High School at around 11 a.m. Wednesday. Police responded immediately and secured the scene, evacuating students and staff at both the high school and nearby Indian Hill Middle School "out of an abundance of caution."
Middle school students were taken to Indian Hill Elementary School, while high school students were released to parents and guardians at the district's designated locations.
Police swept the school and determined there was no credible threat.
WATCH: Here's what we know as the FBI investigates the threats
The evacuation came as Mason City Schools and Cincinnati Public Schools announced they were dealing with separate but similar threats. Police determined a threat at Mason High School was not credible, while a lock-in was initiated at Walnut Hills High School as police and security determined all students and staff were safe.
Tyra Martinear, a parent of a Mason High School student, said she learned about the threat first from her son.
"They put the school on a soft lockdown due to a threat they got over the phone this morning," Martinear said. "I was at work. When he texted me, I saw the email that already had been sent by the school. Maybe 20 minutes after that is when they had the follow-up."
Martinear said the quick response from the school offered some reassurance.
"It's something that I've been hearing going on a lot more lately. The school had a pretty quick response, had law enforcement here," she said.
WATCH: A Mason High School parent reacts to safety precautions taken during Wednesday's lockdown
Eastern Brown High School also received a similar threat, according to the Brown County Sheriff's Office. Both Eastern Brown High School and Eastern Brown Middle School were placed on lockdown while law enforcement investigated and secured the area. The sheriff's office said no credible threat was located at the school through the search and students and staff returned to normal activities.
During the investigation, the sheriff's office said, it was determined that approximately 35 similar threats were reported to schools throughout Ohio around the same time.
Our partners at News 5 in Cleveland say multiple districts in northeast Ohio also received threats, prompting multiple buildings to go on lockdown.
Lisa Peterson, Gov. Mike DeWine's communications director, said the Ohio State Highway Patrol determined most of the threats were phone calls indicating a person "driving a vehicle with firearms and pipe bombs would be traveling to the schools to cause harm."
"While it is concerning for parents, students, and staff, it is important to note that it is highly likely these threats are swatting or hoax calls," Peterson said. "As of this afternoon, the Ohio State Highway Patrol has not received any information regarding occurrences of violence resulting from the calls."
FBI Cincinnati noted it is also working with local officials. In 2023, Ohio made swatting a felony. Violators now face prison time and potentially thousands of dollars in restitution.
