Ottawa High School student arrested after allegedly threatening peers
A 15-year-old Ottawa High School student was arrested Thursday after allegedly making criminal threats toward other students.
Staff at Ottawa High School notified the Ottawa Police Department just before 11:30 a.m. Wednesday of a “potential threat made toward students,” Capt. J.W. Hawkins, a spokesperson for the police department, said in a news release Wednesday evening.
School resource officers and detectives responded to the high school “immediately,” and opened an investigation into the threat, Hawkins said. Investigators eventually arrested a 15-year-old student, Hawkins said. The teen was taken to the Franklin County Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center.
The alleged threats were directed toward specific people and not toward the “school, student body, staff, or the public,” Hawkins said.
“The Ottawa Police Department reminds everyone that maintaining a safe school environment is a shared responsibility,” Hawkins said. “If you see or hear something concerning, please report it immediately to school staff or law enforcement.”
Hawkins said the targeted people and their families have been notified. Investigators do not think there is an ongoing threat to the school or community.
This story was originally published April 8, 2026 at 8:51 PM.
