Logan Andrew, Editor-In-Chief | FreeWire — Your News, Your Voice
A bomb threat and report of gunfire at the HideAway Inn triggered a massive police response Thursday night—only for authorities to later confirm it was a hoax.
According to Crawford County Sheriff Scott Kent, the call came in to the Bucyrus Police Department at 7:53 PM, claiming that shots had been fired and a bomb was inside the building. Law enforcement agencies from across the region responded, including the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office, Bucyrus Police, Galion Police, Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Officers quickly evacuated the area and conducted a sweep of the building.
“We cleared every room and found nothing,” Sheriff Kent told FreeWire.
HideAway Inn owner Debbie Miller arrived on scene shortly after the threat was reported. She told FreeWire she has been receiving prank calls for weeks, and believes the same individual is responsible for Thursday night’s hoax.
Miller said the most recent prank call came in at 7:47 PM—just six minutes before the bomb threat was phoned in to police.
“I told the officer it was probably the same person who’s been harassing me,” Miller said. “To me, it sounds like a kid”
The incident disrupted guests and staff, as well as traffic in the area during the multi-agency response. No injuries were reported.
The source of the false threat is under investigation. Law enforcement has not confirmed whether the ongoing prank calls are connected, but Miller says she hopes officials will take the pattern seriously.
This is a developing story. FreeWire will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.
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