UPDATE: 5 students arrested as threats rock southwest Ohio schools

Police and school administrators across southwest Ohio spent a frenzied Thursday tracking down threats of violence amid ongoing anxiety after the mass shooting last week at a Parkland, Fla. high school.

At least five students — one from Springfield, one from Piqua, two from Fairborn and another from New Lebanon — were arrested, police said. Schools in several other communities, including Springboro and Riverside, were forced to investigate threats.

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Some districts reported lower attendance today as a result of the threats.

Springfield City Schools Superintendent Bob Hill said many high school students didn’t come to school Thursday and called attendance “light.”

“We take threats very seriously,” Hill said. “This has some pretty serious and far-reaching ramifications.”

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Here’s a roundup of the local incidents faced by educators, parents, police and students Thursday:

FAIRBORN: Police arrested two students from Baker Middle School in connection to the social media threats. An 11-year-old female was charged with inducing panic and making terroristic threats. A 12-year-old male was charged with inducing panic and aggravated menacing. Police said a "lockdown was due to a social media post that indicated Fairborn High School students and teachers were possibly in danger." Police originally said the lockdown was due to the vague threats, including a viral threat to an "SHS" school that multiple area schools investigated.

SPRINGFIELDA 16-year-old girl is arrested for allegedly making threats at Springfield High School, Clark County Sheriff Chief Deputy Travis Russell said Thursday afternoon. She is charged with inducing panic, a second-degree felony, and could face several years in prison if convicted. The FBI and Clark County Deputies were able to locate where the social media post was made. The Springfield Police Department and Clark County Sheriff's Office then executed a search warrant, seizing a number of electronic devices. Authorities now say no further threat exists.

» TRENDING: Hundreds of local students walk out after Florida shooting, more walkouts planned

STEBBINS, SPRINGBORO & SOUTHEASTERN: Other schools with names beginning with the letter "S" were subject to chaos Thursday due to the Springfield threat, which cautioned of an incident at an "SHS" school. Springfield Police Chief Lee Graf said it appears the "SHS" school threat that spread through social media Wednesday originated in Springfield.

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MIAMISBURG: More police officers were at the high school Thursday after the threat that was discovered on a bathroom wall the day before, according to Miamisburg Police Department Sgt. Will Ring. The unspecified number of officers at the school were in addition to the district's school resource officer. Ring said no arrests have been made and the investigation is continuing.

DIXIE HIGH SCHOOL: A male sophomore student at Dixie High School is facing charges after posting concerning statements on social media directed towards staff and students at the school, New Lebanon Police Capt. Jim Chambers said. New Lebanon Local Schools Superintendent Greg Williams said other students made administrators aware of the social media post around 9:30 a.m., shortly after the post was made.

PIQUAA 10-year-old boy who threatened to bring a gun to school at Piqua Central Intermediate School has been charged, Piqua Police Chief Bruce Jamison said Thursday. The boy was charged with false alarm, a first degree misdemeanor, Jamison said. The boy told students at the bus stop Wednesday that he would bring a gun to school Thursday, prompting officers to take action, the chief said.

More local reporting from the Dayton Daily News:

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» RIVERSIDE: Springfield Street near Air Force Museum faces $5.4M ‘road diet’ for safety

» CENTERVILLE: Bethany Village complies with OSHA after worker’s deadly fall

Staff writers Nick Blizzard and Parker Perry contributed to this report.

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