Police say a threat of a school shooting against Martin Collegiate or Archbishop MC O’Neill High School on Thursday evening was found to be a hoax.
Investigators were informed of threatening social media posts around 7:30 p.m. on Thursday night. One of the posts suggested that a large group of people armed with machetes and small calibre handguns was planning to block off the entrances to the school, before performing a "massacre". There was also a suggestion that a particular female student would be targeted.
Police say they have investigated the posts, and found that the threats are not credible.
On Friday afternoon, police said a 17-year-old boy is facing four charges, including uttering threats, in relation to the incident. He was arrested around 12:30 a.m. Friday.
Martin Collegiate says police will be on site to help students and parents feel safe.
In an emailed statement, Regina Public Schools said parents and students were notified of the threat through automated phone calls, tweets from the school board and the school, a website post and directly communicating with parents.
“Today was, otherwise, a regular school day,” Terry Lazarou with Regina Public Schools said in the statement.
Police are thanking the public for their help in alerting them to the threats. They say they believe the situation has been resolved and there is no further threat to staff, students, families or the public.
The youth cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act. He appeared in court on Friday afternoon and the case was adjourned until Tuesday.
