Multiple schools in Belmont and Jefferson counties have been the victim of online threats in the past couple of days, leading to soft lockdowns at some schools and the canceling of classes at another.

Buckeye Local High School announced on its Facebook page Tuesday night that it would cancel classes for today following more threats. Buckeye Local junior and senior high schools were on soft lockdown Monday due to threats, and those continued into Tuesday.

That announcement came after Martins Ferry City Schools went on soft lockdown Tuesday due to threats, St. Clairsville-Richland City Schools joined in a soft lockdown out of abundance of caution, and Union Local and Shadyside school districts also dealt with threats.

A screenshot of a Snapchat message made the rounds on Facebook on Tuesday evening, allegedly claiming that St. Clairsville, Union Local, Buckeye Local, Martins Ferry, and Shadyside made a list of schools to be targeted. Buckeye Local Schools were the first to receive threats on Monday.

Buckeye Local went on soft lockdown Monday — meaning school is held as usual, but no one from the outside is allowed in — as the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office investigated. On Tuesday, threats led Martins Ferry City Schools to follow suit on a soft lockdown. The Martins Ferry Police Department had not found evidence that is credible of the threat as of Tuesday, but the department was still investigating and would let Superintendent Jim Fogle know of any updates.

After school extracurricular activities were not canceled because of the lack of credible evidence of this threat, Fogle said, though there was an increased police presence at the schools Tuesday.

“We did it out of an abundance of caution,” Fogle said.

St. Clairsville Schools Superintendent Walt Skaggs decided to put St. Clairsville Schools on a soft lockdown as a precautionary measure, though the schools did not receive any threats.

Once Union Local and Shadyside Superintendents were informed of the threats made to their schools both Shadyside School Superintendent John Haswell and Union Local Superintendent Zac Shutler acted swiftly. Haswell informed parents that Shadyside will still have school today but Shadyside police officers will be present at each building.

Shutler announced that Union Local Schools will operate as business as usual but with an abundance of caution.

“We operate as if there’s a threat every day,” Shutler said. “Our buildings are locked to the exterior, visitors have to report and then check in with our security, and class room doors are to be kept shut and locked.”

He added that he had been in contact with Belmont County Sheriff’s Office’s Chief Deputy James Zusack.

“We’re taking this very serious,” Zusack said. “We’re flooding the schools with law enforcement and so is Jefferson County.”