Police Arrest Two in Connection with Stark State Bomb Threat

Jackson Township police arrested two people they believe are connected to a recent bomb threat at , 6200 Frank Ave.

Police say Tony Dean Gill of Louisville placed a call to Stark State March 2, saying there was a bomb on campus. The call originated from a public phone at 3235 Mahoning Road NE in Canton. 

Gill told Jackson Township detectives and an Ohio Adult Parole Authority officer he had placed the call that there was a “bomb in the building that was going to blow up," police said today.

He was charged with disrupting public services, a fourth-degree felony, and inducing panic, a second-degree felony.  He was booked into the Stark County Jail on those charges and for parole violations.

Police say Scott A. Gainer of Canton also knew about the crime and didn't report it. He's charged with failure to report a crime, a fourth-degree misdemeanor.

The college received six other similar calls since Jan. 24. Jackson detectives were able to trace the calls to multiple phone booths in the city of Canton and one to an unknown address in Akron.

 Here's a list of previous bomb threats:

• The first threat was received at 8:52 a.m. Jan. 24. The location was not verified.

• The second was received at 8:45 a.m. Feb. 19. The call was traced back to the BP gas station at 1200 Market Ave., Canton.

• The third was received at 11:05 a.m. Feb. 26. The call was traced back to Italo’s Pizza at 420 Market Ave., Canton. 

• The fourth at 1:11 p.m. Feb. 28. The call was traced back to 1105 W. Tuscarawas St., Canton.

• The fifth was received at 4:52 p.m. March 1. The call originated from an unknown address on Portage Path in Akron. The last call was received  at 5:25 p.m. March 3.  The call was traced back to 2122 Navarre Road, Canton.   

Investigations continue in regards to the other calls. The police department is asking anyone with any information concerning the other bogus calls to contact the police department or Stark State College. The information can be given anonymously.