Millersport schools close early after third threat

Millersport elementary, junior and senior high schools in Fairfield County dismissed students early Friday after the district received a third email threatening violence.

Walnut Township Local Schools Superintendent Randy Cotner said the latest message came just after 8 a.m., with the sender claiming to be on school grounds with a firearm.

Law enforcement was already at the campus, located on Buckeye Lake south of Interstate 70 about a halfhour east of Columbus, after two other electronic messages were sent to the elementary school principal on Thursday. The sender claimed to have a bomb and intended to “kill the kids.”

On both days, students, faculty and staff locked down the premises of the two school buildings while a bombsniffing dog and officers from the Millersport Police Department and the Fairfield County sheriff’s office checked the area.

No threats were found Thursday or Friday, but school officials decided to send students home early and cancel other activities on the school grounds for the day.

“Our teachers and our students did an outstanding job putting into practice the drills and things that we practice,” Cotner said, adding, “The kids were safe. I never felt our kids were in any danger.”

None of the emails named specific students or staff members or locations, he said.

“We’re following up on what we have, and hopefully it will come to an end soon,” said Fairfield County Sheriff’s Sgt. Sean Burke. “We take them very seriously (and) do everything we can to make sure that each and every child in that building is safe, along with the staff.”