WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE, OHIO — The Fayette County Sheriff’s Office responded to two safety incidents at the Miami Trace Local School District campus this week.

On Tuesday morning shortly before 9:30 a.m., deputies responded to the campus after a student reported to school resource officer Deputy Monty Coe that another student was in possession of a weapon at the middle school.

Coe detained the juvenile suspect, secured his backpack and observed what appeared to be a firearm inside the bag, according to Sheriff Vernon Stanforth, as additional deputies responded to the campus.

School administrators placed the middle school in a “shelter in place” status, and the principals in the high school and elementary school were alerted to the incident. Although there was no evidence to believe this incident was affiliated with the other school buildings, deputies were assigned to these schools as a safety measure while the incident was being investigated, Stanforth said.

During the investigation, it was determined by detectives that the weapon recovered was an air soft gun, which was indistinguishable from a firearm as the incident unfolded.

A 12-year-old Miami Trace student was taken into custody and transported to the South Central Ohio Juvenile Detention Center — charged with delinquency counts of illegal conveyance or possession of an object indistinguishable from a firearm in a school safety zone.

All students on the Miami Trace campus resumed a normal schedule Tuesday following stabilization of the incident, Stanforth said.

The juvenile suspect will be scheduled to appear before the Fayette County Probate-Juvenile Court.

The day before this incident, a 26-year-old Washington C.H. woman was charged with making false alarms after the suspect allegedly left a message on the Miami Trace answering service inquiring if the school district was aware of a potential bomb threat posted on social media.

Shortly after 9:30 a.m. Monday, the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) received a call from the Miami Trace Local School District concerning the message. According to Sheriff Vernon Stanforth, deputies and school faculty quickly determined that no credible threat existed and all buildings on campus were secure.

“Further investigation of the social media post led detectives to the identity of the author of the post,” reads a statement from the FCSO. “Initially, it was reported by the author of the post concerning the threat that a secondary post was observed on a different social media platform and had been removed after only a couple of minutes, prompting a call to the school by the author of the social media post. Further investigation revealed that no second post was ever made or observed.”

Deputies charged Courtney M. Hines-Young with making false alarms. She will be scheduled for an arraignment in Washington Court House Municipal Court.

Miami Trace Superintendent Kim Pittser provided the Record-Herald with the following statement concerning these two incidents: “Miami Trace School District is grateful for the swift and effective response from the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office during the recent safety incidents that occurred over the past two days. Their cooperation has been invaluable.

“In the face of such incidents, it is crucial to have a prompt and coordinated response. Our staff members are trained to respond and follow established protocols. The safety of our students is our top priority, with timely and accurate communication with families to follow.

“These situations underscore the importance of collaboration among students, families, and the community in reporting any concerns to school officials. It is essential that we continue to work together to uphold and enhance the safety of our schools.”