Madison students return to classes after bomb threat

MANSFIELD – Madison Comprehensive High School students were temporarily evacuated Friday morning after a bomb threat sent them to the nearby Madison Middle School.

As of noon on Friday, the Sheriff’s Office completed a sweep of the high school building and declared it safe for students to return. Some students who were originally taken to Madison Middle School returned to classes. Some parents also picked up students at the Middle School.

The scenario began when the Richland County Sheriff’s Office received a call from the high school after a note was discovered, according to Maj. Joe Masi.

“It said, ‘There is a bomb…you have three hours,'” Masi said. “It was found in a bathroom sometime after 8:30 this morning.” 

Masi said the department suspects the note was placed in the bathroom between 7 and 8:30 a.m. on Friday morning. Deputies are currently reviewing video of students coming in and out of the bathroom to identify the author of the note. 

The Sheriff’s Office evacuated Madison High School on Friday morning with the assistance of high school personnel. All students were directed to Madison Middle School, where parents were to retrieve their students. 

“After we get the building cleared, we will go through the building and see if there is any type of suspicious packages or items that would cause us some concern,” Masi said. 

Ashland County Bomb Squad was on standby should their assistance be required, Masi said. In addition to the Sheriff’s Office, other entities responding to Madison on Friday include the Madison Fire Department and the Ohio State Highway Patrol. 

This is not the first time in recent years that Madison High School has dealt with bomb threats. In October 2015, a 16-year-old female student was arrested in connection with a bomb threat that evacuated the high school, triggering a rash of bomb threats throughout Richland County. 

As of Friday morning, Masi said there was no reason to believe this particular bomb threat was related to the previous string of threats. 

“At this point it’s hard to say what their motives are until we get further into the investigation,” Masi said.