Equitas reopens one day after receiving threats

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A local healthcare facility reopened up Tuesday after having to shut down Monday due to a security threat. 

Columbus police are investigating a series of threatening and credible phone calls to Equitas Health’s Columbus office. According to 911 calls released by police, the suspect threatened to shoot an employee at the office.

Equitas officials said it was a Dayton man who was making the threatening phone calls, which they said were serious enough for the company to contact the police and begin locking down all their facilities in Columbus, Dayton, and Cincinnati. All offices reopened Tuesday.

Equitas Health is a regional non-profit community healthcare system and is one of the largest LGBTQ+ and HIV/AIDS-serving healthcare organizations in the country. 

Robert Copeland, the interim president and CEO of Equitas Health, released this statement saying:

“I am grateful for the response, adaptation and resiliency that the Equitas Health team demonstrated Monday while we navigated a security threat to our organization. The decision to close our facilities did not come lightly. Today, we resume providing the services our communities need while ensuring a safe and secured workplace for our employees.” 

Police are still investigating this incident and tell me that no charges have been filed at this time.