Bomb threat that put Port Clinton City Schools on lockdown possibly connected to store robbery

Surveillance video still from the robbery at Mickey's Smoke Shop.

PORT CLINTON -- A bomb threat that put the Port Clinton City Schools on lockdown for about an hour Tuesday could be connected to a store robbery across town, city police said today.

Detective Sgt. Corbin Carpenter said the phone call could be related to the robbery of Mickey's Smoke Shop, 1308 E. Perry St., Port Clinton, that happened about 10 a.m. Tuesday. Authorities were reviewing store security camera footage that captured video and photos of the possible culprit.

"The caller said someone would bring the bomb at 10 a.m. About the same time the store was robbed. That's just a little too coincidental for us... [The call] could be a distraction," he said.

Officials ordered all students to remain in their classrooms and searched all buildings and arriving vehicles after a 911 caller said someone would bring a bomb to one of the schools at 10 a.m. Classes resumed about 11 a.m. at all schools except the high school, which remained locked down until noon.

The call came in about 8:30 a.m. from a telephone account that was deactivated and could only dial 9-1-1. Officials were trying to determine who owned the account.

Superintendent of Schools Pat Adkins initially described the incident as "a prank" but that the high school was searched as a precaution.