ROSS COUNTY, Ohio — A potential school shooting threat was investigated by local authorities after an email was received by a school board member from someone claiming to be a “shooter”. The incident occurred at Adena High School on 03/27/2023 and left the school community on edge.
Upon arrival, deputies were informed by Superintendent John Balzer of the email and the time it was received during the last period of the day. The authorities were dispatched to the listed address where the suspect’s mother’s vehicle was parked in the driveway. The suspect’s mother was present but the suspect was not.
Authorities, reports say, attempted to contact the suspect via phone but were unsuccessful. However, they were able to reach the suspect’s father through his workplace at Kenworth and informed him of the situation.
When the teen returned to the residence, authorities detained and conducted a search for weapons, but none were found. Detectives asked the teens family if they had any weapons in the house and they said yes, but according to the sheriff’s office, the family would not allow deputies to exam the weapons to make sure they were secured.
Deputies, officials say, seized the suspect’s school laptop as evidence and transported the teen to the Juvenile Detention Center on charges of inducing panic.
During the investigation, the teen’s mother informed the authorities that her son had been bullied in school previously due to being colorblind and his weight. The teen also told investigators that the email was supposed to be a joke and was meant to be emailed to a friend.
This incident comes on the heels of another school shooting that left 7 people dead in a Nashville suburb. The sheriff’s office has not released the name of the teen or any other parties involved in the investigation at this time.
