All guests, staff and animals are safe after the latest threat was cleared this morning
Visitors to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium had their trip cut short for the second time in four days this morning after a phone call to the zoo’s call center reported a potential active shooter on the grounds. Zoo leadership, working in coordination with the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, ordered a full evacuation of all guests and staff at approximately 9:54 a.m. and closed the park for the remainder of the day. By 11:40 a.m., law enforcement and zoo security had cleared the threat, with all guests, staff and animals confirmed safe.
What happened this morning
The call came in shortly before 10 a.m. to the zoo’s internal call center in Powell, Ohio. Zoo leadership moved immediately to evacuate and coordinated with the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, which deployed deputies to the grounds to work alongside zoo security teams in establishing a secured perimeter while the property was assessed.
The zoo issued a statement around 11:20 a.m. confirming the evacuation, noting explicitly that the decision was shaped in part by similar threats being reported at zoos across the country in recent days. A follow-up statement at 11:40 a.m. confirmed the threat had been cleared and that the facility would remain closed for the remainder of the day while authorities continued their review.
This is the second time in four days
Today’s evacuation is not the Columbus Zoo’s first disruption of the week. On Saturday, May 2, the park was evacuated and closed after receiving false threats of both a bomb and an active shooter. That incident affected afternoon visitors and resulted in the zoo shutting down for the day.
The same weekend, the Akron Zoo and the Cleveland Zoo also closed following similar threatening calls, forcing law enforcement to respond to multiple Ohio venues in a short span of time. Zoo officials have been placed in the difficult position of treating each call with the full weight of a credible threat, even when the evidence increasingly points toward deliberate disruption rather than real danger.
A national pattern that is not slowing down
The incidents in Columbus and across Ohio are part of a broader wave affecting zoos across the United States. Multiple facilities have received threatening phone calls involving reported bombs or active shooters in recent days, prompting evacuations and full law enforcement responses. The pattern closely resembles swatting, a form of harassment where false emergency reports are used to trigger large-scale police action against a target location.
The FBI’s Cleveland field office addressed the trend publicly in connection with the Ohio threats, with the agency’s assistant special agent in charge making clear that every bomb threat demands a full and serious response, regardless of whether it is later determined to be a hoax. The practical cost of even a fake threat is significant: families are displaced, staff are disrupted, emergency resources are drained and large crowds are subjected to real fear.
The Columbus Zoo’s president and CEO confirmed publicly that staff have been regularly participating in safety drills specifically to prepare for situations like these, describing this kind of threat as something public venues across the country now have to factor into routine operations.
What guests and families should know
The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium remains closed for the rest of today, May 5. The zoo has committed to providing updates as additional information is available. Guests affected by today’s closure or the Saturday incident are encouraged to check the zoo’s official website and social media accounts for guidance on rescheduling and refunds.