WILMINGTON — Alleged threats “made toward possible students in the Wilmington City school district” and related to a recent shooting of two juveniles led to the decision to close Wilmington City Schools on Tuesday.
Jim Brady, Superintendent of Wilmington City Schools, announced Monday evening that all schools in the district would be closed Tuesday.
This closure follows the receipt of certain information recently received by Wilmington Police, according to a Tuesday morning news release from the city.
Late Tuesday afternoon, Brady announced that schools would be open as normal Wednesday: “After extensive dialog with the Wilmington PD, they have indicated that we are cleared to return to normal operations. As an added measure, they will be providing an extra presence throughout the district” Wednesday.
Brady added, “The safety and security of our students and staff is our top priority. We continue to encourage students and the community to report any safety concerns to the proper authorities. We appreciate the support that local law enforcement has provided on this matter.”
On Monday, the Wilmington Police Department was contacted by a concerned parent who shared that she had overheard her child speaking about an incident where threats were made over a social media app concerning Wilmington High School.
The threats are allegedly related to a shooting that Wilmington PD investigated last week where juveniles were involved.
Due to the alleged threats, Wilmington PD reached out to Superintendent Brady, and briefed him on the information received.
Because of the threats originating in the Blanchester area, the Blanchester Police Department and the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office were notified as well.
Wilmington Chief of Police Ronald Fithen said, “This is going to be a multi-agency investigation and the Wilmington Police Department will assist as needed. Based on the information provided to us and practicing extreme caution, Mr. Brady made the decision to close the schools, which is very appropriate in this case.”
Brady said in an announcement, “The district will be closed to allow time for local law enforcement agencies to gather information regarding a recent security concern. The safety and security of our students and staff is the top priority for school officials and law enforcement, and we are working together to resolve the issue as soon as possible.” Fithen added that Wilmington PD will have additional personnel in the school when school resumes and add school events for added security measures.
Superintendent Brady is hoping to have a further announcement regarding school extracurricular activities and tomorrow’s school day later on Tuesday.
For further information, please contact Wilmington City Schools or Ronald Fithen, Wilmington Chief of Police.
Shooting incident
The Wilmington Police Department was dispatched to the area of South South Street near Randolph Street on Monday, Sept. 12 at approximately 10:30 p.m. for a possible shooting.
Upon arrival, officers located three male juveniles in a vehicle; two had injures from a shooting that occurred on Reba Drive, WPD stated in a news release.
The two injured juveniles were transported to Clinton Memorial Hospital for their injuries, and one of those was transported via CareFlight Miami Valley Hospital for further treatment.
Later in the week the WPD announced it was seeking the whereabouts of a 15-year-old suspect who was to be considered armed and dangerous. The 15-year-old turned himself in later in the day.
