Clark-Shawnee Superintendent: Staff acted quickly to protect students

Shawnee High School and Middle School went on lockdown Wednesday afternoon after receiving a threatening phone call.

“Around 12:45 to 12:50 p.m., a threatening call was received by the Shawnee High School Office,” Superintendent Brian Kuhn said. “Our staff immediately followed procedure, got students on lockdown and in safe positions.”

The school placed a one-call to alert parents of the threat and assure them student safety was a number one priority, Kuhn said.

MORE: Lockdowns lifted, dismissals underway after threat phoned into Shawnee High School

The Springfield News-Sun was on scene where numerous sheriff deputies surrounded the high school and middle school to protect it. Deputies began pulling out of the parking lot at around 1:40 p.m., though many stayed behind to make sure students safely boarded the buses and left school.

It’s still unclear what the threatening phone call said, but a media release from the Clark County Sheriff’s Office states the call was made to the school’s main line.

“The call came in on their normal business line and was a very brief statement,” the release states. “The school was immediately placed on lockdown and multiple Deputies from the Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene. Deputies made a thorough search of the area but did not locate anything abnormal. Other schools in the County were notified and took precautions as they deemed necessary. The Clark County Sheriff’s Office Investigations and Education Support Divisions are actively looking into this threat and do have a potential lead on its source.”

Clark County Sheriff’s Office officials said they were continuing to investigate the incident.

Kuhn said his staff acted quickly to protect students.

“We take every threat seriously,” he said. “That’s why our staff jumped right into action and followed our protocol. Thankfully everyone is safe.”

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He thanked law enforcement for their quick response.

Students were released in staggered intervals starting around 2:30 p.m. Students who rode the bus went first, followed by students who were picked up by a parent or guardian. Students who drove themselves to school were released last.

At least two other Clark County schools took safety precautions due to the threat at Clark-Shawnee.

Tecumseh posted on its’ Facebook that it went into its “shelter in place” plan in the afternoon.

“Other county schools did this as well. Tecumseh Local School District immediately sent out a REMIND notification,” a Facebook post by the district states. “If you did not receive a REMIND via text or email, please visit the district’s webpage and you can sign up for REMIND.”

Northwestern Local Schools posted on their Facebook that it also went on lockdown Wednesday due to the threat.

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