Teen facing felony charge over Whitehall high school swatting incident

WHITEHALL, Ohio (WCMH) -- A teenage girl is facing a felony charge Friday, after Whitehall police arrested and accused her of an incident that led to a lockdown at a local high school.

The 16-year-old turned herself in once she knew detectives were searching for her, according to the Whitehall Division of Police. The teen confessed to making a prank phone call Thursday that caused staff at Whitehall-Yearling High School to lock it down.

The teen, who lives in Columbus but is not a student at Whitehall City Schools, is facing a felony charge of swatting. In 2023, Gov. Mike DeWine signed House Bill 462, which created the swatting offense as a possible charge. The penalties for it become more severe if the swatting call results in physical harm.

"We do not, and will not, take these matters as a joke," said Whitehall Police Chief Mike Crispen.

Whitehall police did not specify what the teen said during the prank phone call. Once Whitehall City Schools determine there was no legitimate threat, staff returned students to their regular class schedule.