Molly Brant Elementary Faculty. Photograph by way of Google Maps.
KSS/Vanier. Photograph by Jessica Foley/Kingstonist.
On Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, colleges within the Kingscourt-Rideau district have been positioned on maintain and safe for roughly an hour within the afternoon.
Kingston Secondary Faculty (KSS), Module Vanier (which is contained in the KSS constructing), and Molly Brant Elementary Faculty have been positioned beneath maintain and safe simply after 1 p.m., and the protecting measure was lifted lower than one hour later.
Kingstonist reached out to Kingston Police and the Limestone District Faculty Board (LDSB) for extra particulars on the incident.
LDSB was in a position to present a selected timeline of occasions, however didn’t converse to what precipitated the maintain and safe.
“The information we have is that at approximately 1:05 p.m., Kingston Police placed KSS, Module Vanier, and Molly Brant Elementary School into a Hold and Secure as a precautionary measure due to an incident within the community. All students and staff were safe,” acknowledged Maddie Crothers, Communications Guide for the college board.
Based on Crothers, a maintain and safe is instituted as a precautionary measure when there’s a potential risk to highschool security within the neighborhood of colleges. Regular operations proceed inside of colleges, however exterior doorways are locked, and college students/employees are introduced contained in the constructing.
“The Kingston Police lifted the Hold and Secure at KSS, Module Vanier, and Molly Brant Elementary School at approximately 1:50 p.m.,” Crothers detailed, including {that a} letter concerning the state of affairs was shared straight with households.
Kingstonist requested Crothers whether or not or not college students from any of the faculties positioned on maintain and safe have been concerned within the incident that prompted the state of affairs, in addition to for a duplicate of the letter despatched residence to households of the faculties. The LDSB stated that any additional questions in regards to the incident must be directed to Kingston Police, reiterating that “an incident within the community” prompted the state of affairs.
Kingston Police confirmed that the three colleges have been positioned on maintain and safe, and that the state of affairs is now resolved
“My understanding is that… the issue is resolved, [there is] no threat to anyone’s safety at this time,” Constable Anthony Colangeli, Media Relations Officer for Kingston Police, shared in an e-mail simply earlier than 3 p.m.
Following additional inquiries, Conlangeli was in a position to broaden a bit on the state of affairs that prompted the faculties to take the safety measures outlined above. Based on police, over the lunch hour, two college students received into an argument at a bus cease. Throughout that argument, there was some point out of a gun, Colangeli informed Kingstonist. That info was then relayed to a instructor, which led to police being contacted.
“Out of caution, the hold and secure was put in place,” Colangeli stated, disclosing that, though police thought the firearm in query to be a bb gun, securing KSS/Vanier was essential till that info may very well be verified. Molly Brany Elementary was placed on maintain and safe as a consequence of its shut proximity to KSS/Vanier.
Kingston Secondary Faculty (KSS), which is residence to Module Vanier, and Molly Brant Elementary Faculty (indicated above in purple) are positioned a brief distance from each other. Graphic by way of Google Maps.
Colangeli reiterated that the preliminary incident occurred off college property, noting that every one college students and employees have been protected all through the maintain and safe, throughout which police decided there was no weapon in or round any of the faculties. Based on police there was no danger to public security.
“It was confirmed that one of the students had a bb gun at home, but it is unknown if the gun ever made it to the school or not,” he stated.
Regardless, police have been in a position to affirm that no weapon was current on the colleges through the maintain and safe, and college students and employees have been in a position to end out their college day as soon as the maintain and safe was lifted.
With recordsdata from Tori Stafford.
