ROSS COUNTY, Ohio — Authorities have launched an investigation after an unknown caller made threats to engage in a mass shooting. The incident occurred on June 21 in Ross County.
According to the Ross County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched to the crisis center on Route 159. Upon arrival, they spoke with a Crisis Center Hotline operator who reported receiving a call from an unidentified male claiming to be a 37-year-old “incel”. The caller stated intentions to commit a mass shooting and acquire a firearm.
An “incel” is a term used to describe an individual who identifies as involuntarily celibate. Many who profess to be incels harbor a hatred for women.
The call, according to reports, lasted two minutes, and the location of the caller was not determined. Initial phone number searches yielded no matches. Authorities contacted the Ohio State Highway Patrol for assistance and discovered that the call originated from a phone number associated with the 213 area code in Los Angeles, California.
The sheriff’s office stated that further attempts to obtain information from T-Mobile, the phone service provider, were met with delays and inadequate responses. Eventually, GPS coordinates were obtained, pointing to a location in Los Angeles.
Deputies reached out to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) where it was revealed that the LAPD had received similar reports from other law enforcement agencies nationwide. The LAPD forwarded the information to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for further action.
The investigation is ongoing as authorities work to identify and locate the caller.
