False bomb threat in four schools in Kentucky, police suspect Valentine’s prank

Fake bomb threats were made to at least four schools in Kentucky in a 24-hour span in what police believe was a cheap Valentine’s Day-themed social media prank. Similar threats were made to two other southern states. According to WLWT5, the threats were first made to a suicide hotline around 2 p.m.

The call claimed that there had been an explosion at Boone County High School, causing a lockdown as a bomb squad was dispatched to search the facility. It was eventually confirmed that there was no threat at the school. The district said the safety of all students is of the utmost importance to us and we will continue to work with law enforcement agencies in situations like this to ensure safety.

Police imposed a temporary lockdown, the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport Police Bomb Unit searched the school grounds but found no explosive devices. According to officials, it appears that each call to the hotline was made using a pre-recorded or artificially created voice. Investigators also found social media posts recording similar threats, with titles and hashtags such as “I don’t want to buy you flowers, I’d rather make a bomb threat.”