Area schools opened today, a day after many received a threatening email through an account claiming to be a Russian terrorist.
The email threat is under investigation by the FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task Force, according to area police and sheriff departments. Numerous sheriff and police departments in the region were alerted Sunday to the email threat targeting multiple schools throughout the state.
“FBI Cincinnati is aware of an email message circulating in Ohio regarding threats to school buildings,” said Todd Lindgren, public affairs specialist for the FBI in Cincinnati. “While the FBI has 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 all suspicious activity to law enforcement immediately.”
A spokesperson from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation said the agency has not been requested to investigate the threats by any local jurisdictions.
The email threats were disseminated to a number of schools.
“As of now, there is no evidence supporting the credibility of the threats and no imminent danger has been identified for any of the schools in our area. Nevertheless, the situation is being treated with the utmost seriousness, and all necessary precautions are being taken to ensure the safety of students, faculty, and staff,” the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office said.
Montgomery County Sheriff Rob Streck said in a social post, “The safety and security of our community’s educational institutions are of utmost importance. We are working closely with our federal and local partners to thoroughly investigate these email threats and ensure the safety of our schools.”
“Parents, students, and school staff are encouraged to stay informed through official channels, including updates from local law enforcement agencies and school authorities. We urge members of the community to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities or information related to these threats to their local police department.”
Schools in Texas received a similar threat on Friday and law enforcement investigated and found the threat was not eminent.
The rambling email threat in part said: “Hello there, my name is Ivan Pichugin I am a owner of a Russian terrorist organization…I would read this message as carefully as I can, my partners have planted multiple explosives in your American school buildings, we do not care if you believe this or not, we are tired of the Ukrainian support you guys have been giving them…
It’s not clear which school districts in the area received the threatening email, but emails were sent by Hamilton, Huber Heights, Mad River, Springboro, Beavercreek, Kettering, Oakwood, Northwestern and Greenville school districts warning parents.
Hamilton’s superintendent released this statement: “The Hamilton Police Department, Butler County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are actively monitoring the threats. While we have no reason to believe these threats are credible, the safety of our students and staff will always come first. We continue to communicate with the Hamilton Police Department and other law enforcement entities and will continue to monitor the situation.”
Oakwood School District gave a similar statement.
“We take all threats seriously, but this one does not seem credible. Regardless, in the spirit of our messaging to our school community regarding “See Something, Say Something,” we notified Oakwood Public Safety and the Ohio School Safety Network. We will continue to monitor the situation and cooperate with law enforcement on safety procedures,” Oakwood Superintendent Neil Gupta said in a message to parents in his district after the district received the threat.
In Kettering, the district released this statement:
“We are reaching out to address a concerning email that has been circulating among Ohio school districts today, including the Kettering City School District. This email claims to be from a Russian terrorist organization, threatening violence with explosive devices at schools. Similar messages were received by school districts across Texas on Friday and deemed to be not credible.
Please be assured that since receiving this message, we have been in close contact with our Kettering Police Department, and KPD and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have been actively monitoring these threats and have deemed them to not be credible. While there is no reason to believe that these threats are credible, we do take this very seriously and will remain in close contact with the Kettering Police Department and local federal agencies as they continue to actively monitor this situation.
Our highest priority is always the safety and well-being of our students and staff. We are committed to keeping you informed and will provide any necessary updates as more information becomes available. In the meantime, we urge everyone to remain vigilant and report any unusual or suspicious activity to our Kettering City Schools Tipline at (937) 643-4444. Our KCS Tipline is monitored 24-7, and all tips received are investigated thoroughly.”
Greeneville schools in Darke County received the same threat.
Greenville Superintendent Doug Fries said his district had police go through school buildings and found nothing. Fries said in an email to parents that they expect to have students attend school on Monday.
Source: Dayton Daily News
