On April 26th, 2026, an 18-year old student Ashton Zihan Zhao reportedly made threats to Lakota West high school, admitting his plans of killing Principal Scott Lamen, along with a counselor, to officers. Zhao’s plan also included running into the building with his car. These threats took place at the “Dayton Brick Shop” where he’s since been charged for making terroristic threats. That week following, the school administration and police officers have worked together to ensure the safety of Lakota West.
“The safety of our staff and students is always our first priority”
In recent news, Lakota West received another potential threat to the school. Around 9:30 am, on May 11th, 2026, the school encountered what they label a “suspicious phone call”; except this time, another school was involved. Fairfield High school, just 15-20 minutes away from Lakota, got a similar suspicious phone call. The staff and school police immediately took action and went into an internal lockdown, ensuring everyone that they had the situation under control. Parents received an email that contained updates on the lockdown and potential threats at hand– while also stressing that everyone is safe. The FBI Cincinnati and Butler County worked with the Ohio Law Enforcement after the threats, working towards a resolution. At the end of the day, students made it out of the building safe with no one being harmed.
