Student arrested after 'suspicious object' found in Logan High School bathroom
LOGAN, Ohio (WCMH) -- A Logan-Hocking School District student has been arrested after a "suspicious object" was found in a high school bathroom earlier this week.
A male student was arrested on Thursday and is facing two fourth-degree felonies: one count of inducing panic, and one count of unlawful possession or use of a hoax weapon of mass destruction, according to the Hocking County Sheriff's Office. The suspect was transported to a juvenile detention center in Lancaster and is scheduled to appear in Hocking County Juvenile Court.
The school district canceled classes on Thursday and Friday as law enforcement continued investigating the object that was discovered on Wednesday.
Multiple agencies, including the Columbus Division of Fire’s bomb squad, went to Logan High School at about 11 a.m. on Wednesday after someone pulled the fire alarm. Staff reported a “suspicious object" was found in a bathroom and evacuated the high school's students. Other schools in the district were placed on lockdown and evening activities were also canceled.
A group of students was holding a gathering inside the high school to voice concerns about mental health at 10:45 a.m. on Wednesday when the object was found and police were called, the district said. The object was “made to look like an explosive device” and the school’s safety protocols were initiated.
"Bomb squad technicians with the assistance of explosive detection K-9 teams concluded that the explosive device was fake and posed no threat to students, staff, or first responder personnel," the sheriff's office said.
Investigators then collected several items of evidence and began to review security camera footage from the building along with conducting interviews with several individuals. The investigation resulted in the sheriff's office identifying the suspect.
In an abundance of caution, the district said there will be an increased police presence when school resumes on Monday. Read Friday's full statement from the Hocking County Sheriff's Office here.