POWELL, Ohio — An Ohio Zoo closed early after it was evacuated due to a safety threat on Tuesday.
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The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium said in a social media post that it received an active shooter threat by phone at the Zoo’s Call Center around 9:54 a.m. on Tuesday.
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The Delaware County Sheriff’s Office was notified immediately and responded to investigate the threat.
“Out of an abundance of caution, and in coordination with Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, Zoo leadership made the decision to evacuate all guests and staff,” the post read.
This comes after several other Ohio zoos have been targets of threats, including a bomb threat made against the Columbus Zoo on May 2.
“This step was taken to help ensure the safety of everyone on our grounds. All guests, staff, and animals are safe,” the post read.
Local law enforcement and zoo security cleared the threat around 11:40 a.m., according to an update made to the original post.
All guests have been evacuated and the zoo will remain closed for the remainder of the day.
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