Armed suspect near Middletown Campus no longer threat

The armed suspect near the Miami University Middletown Campus is no longer an active threat, according to alerts sent out by the university.

The university sent out five alerts from 10:20 a.m to 12:24 p.m. on Wednesday. The suspect was apprehended by Middletown police.

Brandon McKinley, head of security at Miami Middletown, said there is no immediate threat to students, faculty or staff at the regional campus. The suspect was in the area but was not on campus. McKinley could not discuss what measures would be taken if the suspect had stepped on campus. It’s unclear what they were armed with.

The suspect is accused of sending a text message with a “threatened act of violence” against the Middletown City School District, according to a press release from Elizabeth Beadle, Middletown City School District communications specialist.

Stephen Mosby, spokesperson for the school district, said the threat originated from a community health and wellness center adjacent to the high school. The Middletown Police Department is still investigating the incident.

Around 10 a.m., Middletown High School, Middle School and Wildwood Elementary were placed on a lockdown, meaning students were kept in their classrooms. The rest of the school district was on a soft lockdown, where no one was allowed to enter or leave the building. As of 12:31 p.m., the lockdown was lifted on all schools.

Shelby Quinlivan, communications manager for the city of Middletown, said the suspect is not a Miami student. Claire Wagner, director of university news and communications, said she doesn’t have any more information.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

@racheldberry

berryrd@miamioh.edu