South Summit High School was locked down early Monday morning after a Summit County man reported a bomb threat in the building.
Officials put the high school in a secure protocol around 7:35 a.m., meaning the building’s doors were locked and no one was allowed in or out. School is not in session this week because of spring break, so there were no students and a few staff on site at the time.
An erratic man armed with a rifle made the report, according to Summit County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Felicia Sotelo. She said the call started in one area of the county and ended up near the high school. Deputies quickly established the bomb threat was not real.
Law enforcement eventually located the man in South Summit. He put his weapon away. Then deputies took him into custody and transported him to a local hospital to receive care. The man may have been experiencing a mental health crisis. Charges are yet to be determined.
The secure protocol was in place for less than 40 minutes. It was lifted once the campus was cleared and safe to the public.
District administrators said staff regularly train for emergencies to prepare for such situations.
“We would like to thank and recognize the South Summit School District for promptly executing protocols which allowed Summit County deputies to resolve the situation quickly. We greatly appreciate their partnership and support,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
The North Summit School District was also impacted by a fake bomb threat in December. An email sent to schools across the state warned of bombs detonating later in the day. It was deemed a hoax and classes were canceled in many districts.