Peel police investigate online threats to 6 high schools in Mississauga, Brampton
Peel police say they are investigating online threats made to six high schools in Mississauga and Brampton.
In a news release Tuesday, police said officers from its youth criminal investigations bureau were made aware of online threats on social media on Thursday, March 2.
The threats indicated someone would go to six secondary schools in Peel Region on Friday, March 10 with the intent to "shoot them up," police said in the release.
The schools were identified as follows:
Holy Name of Mary Secondary School.
Louise Arbour Secondary School.
St. Thomas Aquinas Secondary School.
Notre Dame Secondary School.
Chinguacousy Secondary School.
Ascension of Our Lord Secondary School.
Police said they and administrators from the Peel District School Board and Dufferin Peel Catholic District School Boards take the threats seriously. Officials are working together on safety plans, police added.
"Investigators are actively investigating and exhausting all leads to identify the source of this threat," police said in the release.
At a news conference Wednesday afternoon, Const. Donna Carlson told reporters that police are not taking the situation lightly.
"We are taking all reasonable measures on our side," she said.
In an email to CBC Toronto Wednesday, Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board spokesperson Bruce Campbell said staff were made aware of a social media post making threats last Thursday. The board has been in close contact with police, he said.
"We communicated with parents of the schools named in the post last week and will provide an update today," he said.
"In the meantime, we are taking the threat seriously, continue to be informed by the Peel Regional Police investigation, and are finalizing operational plans for Friday, March 10."
In a bulletin sent to parents and students, the Dufferin Peel Catholic District School Board said out of "an abundance of caution," this Thursday and Friday there will be a number of "enhanced security measures" in its four schools in question, including private security and police officers on site, as well as controlled access to and from school buildings.
Peel District School Board spokesperson Malon Edwards said staffers are working with police to protect students, with safety plans now in place.
"The safety and wellbeing of our students and staff is our top priority," Edwards said.
Anyone with information about the investigation is urged to call Peel police or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
