Police: Message threatening ‘Fairfield’ in Ohio came from outside U.S., was re-posted by local student

UPDATE @ 11:34 a.m.

Fairfield police say the social media message that included a threat against “Fairfield High School” in Ohio originated outside the United States, and they have not identified any credible threats.

A Fairfield student re-posted the message, police said, and they have identified and interviewed that student. They do not believe that student “is in any way associated with the person who authored the original message.”

Police will continued an increased presence at the school this week.

Officials from multiple schools with “Fairfield” in the name in Ohio investigated the same message.

INITIAL REPORT

An alleged social media threat that has caused an increased presence at Fairfield High School this week could be referencing a different school in Ohio, officials said.

Fairfield Local School District in Leesburg, Ohio, which is nearly a 90-minute drive east of Butler County, also investigated the threat. Fairfield Union Local Schools in Lancaster, Ohio – a two-plus-hour drive northeast of Fairfield, is also investigating. Both have Fairfield high schools.

On Monday, an Instagram post read: “If you’re from ohio and go to Fairfield High School, don’t come into school on February 15, 2019, gon be coming in wit a Remington 870, 12 gauge shotgun, 20 rounds last to go into me, good luck and until then :)”

The Fairfield Police Department and Fairfield City School District officials in Butler County said they’ll have an increased police presence on Friday as the threat is investigated.

The Fairfield school district in Leesburg put out a statement indicating the Leesburg Police chief said the threat originated out of Europe, and the threat is not credible. The Leesburg high school has a scheduled in-service day for Friday.

Fairfield Police Chief Steve Maynard said he is working with the school district to put out an update on their investigation.

The Fairfield Local School district posted this message on its website:

“From Superintendent Tim Dettwiller..

"It was brought to my attention this morning that an Instagram post had been sent to the Superintendent at Fairfield Union Schools indicating that someone was going to bring a gun to Fairfield High School on February 15. I immediately turned this information over to Leesburg Police Chief Shane Nolley. Chief Nolley contacted Fairfield Union Schools and found out that the matter had been referred to the Ohio BCI and the FBI. Late this afternoon I received word from Chief Nolley that the threat originated in Europe. The FBI has determined that it is NOT a credible threat to any of the Ohio Fairfield High Schools, including our own. Had this been a credible threat we would have taken immediate action to safeguard our students and staff.

“I want to thank Chief Nolley for his immediate response to this matter and its subsequent resolution."

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