There was RCMP presence at David Hoy Elementary School on Thursday (June 2), as a “safety concern” was shared with the police.
The RCMP released a statement at 2:30 p.m. on June 2 saying they were advised of a potential threat to the safety of students and staff at the local school. Police immediately responded and learned of a conversation between two students of David Hoy Elementary.
“The initial findings did not indicate an immediate threat to the students and staff, however this sort of thing is taken very serious,” said Cpl James Potyok of the Fort St. James RCMP.
Police have interviewed a number of individuals and do not believe there is a safety risk at this time.
In a June 2 letter, SD91 Superintendent of Schools Manu Madhok said police worked collaboratively with the school district and wanted to visit a student at home but were unable to get to the home prior to bus routes becoming operational. As a result, police felt they needed to stop the bus and remove the student, he said.
All three busses that serve Fort St. James schools were stopped by the RCMP as they looked for the student, Madhok said.
“As an extra precaution, the RCMP asked David Hoy Elementary School to remove students from the playground which lasted a short duration awaiting confirmation from the RCMP.”
By 8:50 a.m., the school district was informed by the RCMP that they had the student and were working with the family to look further into the incident.
Both David Hoy Elementary and Fort St. James Secondary Schools are operating as normal today, Madhok confirmed.
The investigation is ongoing and police do not believe there is a safety risk at this time. If you have any information about this, contact the Fort St. James RCMP at 250-996-8269.
No further context is available from the RCMP regarding this threat. The story will be updated as that information becomes available.
Aman Parhar
Editor - Vanderhoof Omineca Express, Caledonia Courier
aman.parhar@ominecaexpress.com
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