HARRISON TOWNSHIP — An 18-year-old is in custody after a threat closed a local school district on Tuesday.
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As reported on News Center 7 at 5:00, Montgomery County Sheriff’s deputies were called to Northridge High School to investigate a threat.
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A worker at a Montgomery County mental health and addiction treatment facility called Stay Safe Speak Up, a student safety hotline, to report a threat.
“When you’re talking about threats to a school and our children, we’re all going to take this stuff very serious, and we’re going to respond appropriately,” Jeremy Roy, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office Chief of Staff, said.
Deputies learned that an 18-year-old former student was at the treatment facility when he made these threats.
By the time deputies got there, he was gone.
“They gave us a couple of places where they think he could be, so deputies and investigators are out all night and were unable to make contact with them,” Roy said.
That’s when Northridge Schools leaders decided, out of an abundance of caution, they would cancel school.
“In this case, you know, they made the right decision on what they needed to do,” Roy said.
Deputies said the suspect went back to the treatment center around midnight.
“We were able to take him into custody, and he is in custody in the Montgomery County Jail right now,” Roy said.
The Sheriff’s Office isn’t naming the suspect until he’s officially charged.
News Center 7 looked through jail records and found that Thomas Harville, 18, was booked on suspicion of making a terrositic threat.
Deputies said he’s made similar threats before against the City of Dayton.
News Center 7 obtained a letter sent out to parents by Northridge Local Schools Superintendent Dave Jackson.
“Good morning Northridge Family, this is Dave Jackson messaging with an important update. Thanks to the outstanding work of our School Safety Officers and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, a suspect connected to last night’s potential threat was quickly identified and taken into custody.
The Sheriff’s Office has now confirmed that there is no longer a potential threat to our schools, and as a result, we are excited to welcome students and staff back to a normal schedule tomorrow, Wednesday, Oct. 22.
We appreciate your patience and understanding, especially for allowing us and law enforcement the space and time to focus on resolving the situation quickly. The safety and security of our students and staff remains our top priority, and we are grateful for your continued support in keeping Northridge a safe place to learn and grow."
— Northridge Local Schools Superintendent Dave Jackson
Class at Northridge will be back in session on Wednesday, and the sheriff’s office said they will have extra deputies on campus to give everyone peace of mind.
News Center 7 will continue to follow this story.
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