Cardinal Schools and Auburn Career Center both went into lockdown March 4 in response to threats of violence, law enforcement officials said.
Cardinal Schools and Auburn Career Center both went into lockdown March 4 in response to threats of violence, law enforcement officials said.
An unknown man called Cardinal Schools Superintendent Jack Cunningham at about 10:30 a.m., claiming to be a former student with a grudge who had placed pipe bombs in the high school, said school board President Linda Smallwood.
The caller also said he was driving a white Toyota pickup truck, she said.
Middlefield Village Police Chief Joe Tucholski said Cunningham contacted him immediately after receiving the threat.
“We locked down both schools. The Geauga County sheriff showed up with bomb dogs,” Tucholski said, adding officials decided not to evacuate students and staff because of the possibility of an additional outside threat.
“Law enforcement responded promptly and conducted a comprehensive investigation, including a full sweep of district facilities utilizing a K-9 unit trained in weapons and explosive detection,” Cunningham said in a press release last Thursday, adding the district is cooperating with law enforcement as they investigate the origin of the threat.
“We searched and cleared the high school first, then we searched and cleared the elementary school,” Tucholski said, adding the reason for the search was not shared with students to avoid panic.
Once the buildings were cleared, the lockdown was lifted at about 12:45 p.m. and the regular school day resumed, though some parents chose to pick up their children, he said.
“Throughout the situation, students and staff followed established safety procedures with great precision,” Cunningham said in the release. “The safety and security of our students and staff remains our highest priority, and the district will continue to take every threat seriously and respond swiftly.”
Tucholski said the FBI was working with the sheriff’s office to track the caller.
As of March 9, Cunningham said he had received no updates from the FBI.
In his press release, the superintendent thanked the Middlefield Police Department and the Geauga County Sheriff’s Office for their immediate response and partnership during the incident.
“I also want to thank our staff and students for following procedures and doing exactly what was necessary to ensure everyone’s safety. We also appreciate the cooperation of our school community,” he said.
ACC Lockdown
Auburn Career Center also received a threatening phone call at approximately 9:45 a.m., said Lake County Sheriff Frank Leonbruno in a statement.
“As a precautionary measure the school was placed on lockdown,” he said. “Lake County sheriff’s deputies immediately responded to work with the school resource officer to investigate the threat and are currently on scene.”
While there was no active threat to ACC at the time of the chief’s press release, he said deputies would remain on scene until the conclusion of the lockdown.
Following the lockdown, ACC cancelled its afternoon and evening classes, according to an ACC social media post.
“We want to thank the Lake County Sheriff’s Office for their immediate response and partnership during this situation,” Superintendent Joe Glavan said in a press release. “I also want to thank our staff and students for following procedures and doing exactly what was necessary to ensure everyone’s safety. While this threat was ultimately deemed not credible, we will always prioritize the safety of our students and staff.”
The incident remains under review, he added.
