Students at a high school in Courtenay were placed under lockdown that stretched past the final school bell Monday afternoon after an anonymous threat was made toward the school.
The lockdown at George P. Vanier Secondary School ended around 3:30 p.m., according to Comox Valley RCMP.
Comox Valley RCMP tweeted just after 2:50 p.m. that Mounties were on scene at the high school investigating the anonymous threat.
Officers were reportedly inside the school “ensuring school safety,” according to RCMP.
RCMP haven’t released much information about the incident, but told CHEK News that early indications were that it was a case of “swatting,” an intentional false report intended to prompt an emergency response.
Reports surfaced online that the school was initially placed into a hold and secure and later upgraded to a full lockdown.
One student inside the school said they could see some police officers with rifles going from classroom to classroom as students sat in silence for approximately an hour.
Prompted by some sort of emergency incident near a school, a hold and secure is when doors are locked to prevent people from entering the facility, with school activities continuing as normal during the disruption until cleared by first responders.
Lockdowns are used when there is a more immediate threat in or near a school, securing staff and students in classrooms until the situation is declared safe.
Jeff Lawrence
