Photo: Scott Olson / Getty Images News / Getty Images
A bomb threat led to an evacuation at a Toledo polling station set up in Beverley Elementary School on Tuesday morning (November 3), disrupting local Election Day voting. Voters were told to leave Beverley Elementary just before 10:30 a.m. local time after officials from Toledo Public Schools confirmed the threat.
Toledo Police responded quickly, and the Northwest Ohio Bomb Squad was notified to assist in searching the building. A second bomb threat was reported minutes later, around 10:39 a.m., at Monac Elementary School, where staff were present for a workday. Both locations were evacuated as a precaution while police swept the premises with bomb detection K-9s.
Voters at Beverley Elementary initially waited outside while officers searched the grounds. The Lucas County Board of Elections Director LaVera Scott told WTVG that extra voting machines were brought in so people could continue voting outdoors. By shortly after noon, police had cleared the school and allowed voters and staff to resume activities inside.
Further reports indicated that several other area schools, including Conneaut Elementary and Kenwood Elementary in Bowling Green, and Lake Local Schools, also received threats and were evacuated. Police determined those calls were part of a false "swatting" incident and gave the all-clear after safety sweeps, with students and staff returning to the buildings.
Authorities said it is not yet clear if the threats were connected. Voting at Beverley Elementary resumed inside after police confirmed it was safe. No injuries were reported at any location. The incidents remain under investigation as Election Day continues in Toledo and surrounding communities.