Our Girl of Mount Carmel Catholic Faculty, within the foreground, and Amherstview Public Faculty, within the background, had been each positioned on maintain and safe on the morning of Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024, resulting from an “indirect” risk to one of many faculties, based on the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP). Picture by way of Google Maps.
Editor’s notice: This text has been up to date because it was initially printed at 12 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. Please see backside of article for many not too long ago up to date data.
A risk or perceived risk to a neighborhood Catholic college resulted in security measures being applied at that college, in addition to at a public elementary college that neighbours it.
On the morning of Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024, workers at Our Girl of Mount Carmel Public Faculty contacted 911 after studying of a risk to the college, based on Jessica Salmon, Supervisor of Strategic Communications for the Algonquin Lakeshore Catholic District Faculty Board (ALCDSB). The varsity contacted emergency companies simply after 10 a.m.
Whereas Salmon was not capable of say whether or not the risk to the college got here by the use of a telephone name, e mail, or one other type of communication, she clarified that Our Girl of Mount Carmel was not positioned on lockdown at any time.
“This was a hold and secure, not a lockdown. That means there was a threat made to the school, not in the school – it came from outside,” Salmon advised Kingstonist, noting that, when a faculty is positioned on maintain and safe measures, classes proceed as typical.
“Classes continue as usual; the only difference is that no one is allowed in or out of the school.”
In line with Salmon, the maintain and safe – which was lifted by 11:30 a.m. – is not going to alter the course of the remainder of the college day, and college students might be dismissed as typical. She additionally relayed that, instantly after contacting 911, workers members at Our Girl of Mount Carmel reached out to their colleagues with the Limestone District Faculty Board (LDSB), as that board’s Amherstview Public Faculty neighbours the Catholic elementary college with adjoined schoolyard house.
For his or her half, the LDSB confirmed that Amherstview PS was additionally positioned on maintain and safe.
“Amherstview PS was placed in a Hold and Secure out of an abundance of caution due to a possible threat at a neighbouring school,” the LDSB advised Kingstonist in an e mail, noting that the maintain and safe was lifted at roughly 11:05 a.m.
Each the ALCDSB and the LDSB confirmed that every one workers and college students on the two faculties are secure.
In line with the Lennox and Addington (L&A) County detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), officers responded to Our Girl of Mount Carmel after the risk to the college was reported. Constable Martyn Curran, Media Relations Officer for the L&A OPP advised Kingstonist that there was and is not any risk to public security, nonetheless, he did disclose that one individual is in custody on account of the incident, and that the risk concerned “an indirect connection to the school.”
“Due to the nature of the investigation, I am unable to provide further information at this time,” Curran stated.
Kingstonist will present additional protection of this incident as extra data turns into obtainable.
Replace (Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024, at 3:30 p.m.):
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have launched additional particulars concerning the incident earlier within the day that pressured two faculties in Amherstview to make use of emergency safety measures.
In line with the Lennox and Addington (L&A) County OPP, officers from that detachment responded to “allegations of a threat” simply after 10 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024, and that two faculties had been subsequently positioned on emergency safety measures. Whereas the OPP stated that the faculties had been positioned on “lockdown,” the Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District Faculty Board (ALCDSB) and the Limestone District Faculty Board (LDSB) each confirmed earlier within the day that the faculties had been solely positioned on “hold and secure” measures, which differ each in what prompts them and what occurs when the measures are put in place.
“A Hold and Secure is instituted as a precautionary measure when there is a potential threat to school safety in the vicinity of schools. Normal operations continue inside of schools, but exterior doors are locked, and students and staff are brought inside the building,” defined Maddie Carruthers, a communications consultant with the LDSB.
As outlined above, the faculties affected by the incident had been Amherstview Public Faculty (and LDSB college) and Our Girl of Mount Carmel Catholic Faculty (an ALCDSB college), which share a subject as neighbouring faculties.
In a press launch simply after 3 p.m. the identical day because the incident, the OPP stated that there was no risk to public security on account of the incident and the protection measures had been lifted after police had cleared the faculties. Nevertheless, a youngster is now dealing with prison charges, the OPP disclosed. That individual, whose age was not launched by police, has been charged with uttering threats to commit loss of life or bodily hurt, based on police.
“The accused was released from custody and is scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Greater Napanee on a later date,” the L&A OPP stated.
“The identity of the accused is protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act and will not be released.”
Each Our Girl of Mount Carmel Catholic Faculty and Amherstview Public Faculty are situated in Amherstivew, a hamlet of Loyalist Township in Lennox and Addington County simply west of Kingston.
