2 Teens Charged After Threatening Messages Were Allegedly Seen At An Ottawa Valley School
Several police were monitoring the school on Tuesday.
Renfrew Collegiate Institute.
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) charged two teens who were allegedly responsible for threatening messages that were seen at an Ottawa Valley high school.
On June 9, the OPP announced that they had arrested a 14-year-old and a 15-year-old after receiving a call to Renfrew Collegiate Institute on June 6.
The two teens were charged with mischief and uttering threats in line with the Criminal Code of Canada. The 14-year-old was also charged with assaulting a police officer and obstructing a police officer.
Allegedly, "Shoot up June 7th" was written on the school wall, according to CTV News. However, when asked to confirm whether the threat was, in fact, shooting-related, both the OPP and Renfrew Collegiate Institute vice-principal declined to comment.
Just before 11:00 a.m., police said they received a call from the school administration, saying several threatening messages had been found around the premise. After the call, the police carried out an investigation. They arrived at the school and engaged by 11:40 a.m..
\u201c(2 of 2) OPP have charged two young offenders with mischief and uttering threats. The full media release with more details can be found here: \nhttps://t.co/refffRlPu6\u201d— RCDSB (@RCDSB) 1654789716
On June 7, the day one of the threats was alleged to happen, the Renfrew Ontario Provincial Police said that they had multiple police present at Renfrew Collegiate Institute.
In a Facebook post, the Renfrew County District School Board said police had determined that police presence was not necessary at the school on June 8.
However, some people commented on the post, saying they didn't feel comfortable bringing their kids back until the suspects were in custody.
"We want to thank students, families and staff for their cooperation, patience and understanding as we worked through this difficult situation with the OPP," the Renfrew County District School Board said in a notice on June 9. "While safety of our school community is our top priority and we continue to work with community partners to keep our school safe, we are happy to get back to focusing on education in our classes and school activities."
"As for safety at the school OPP is always committed to public safety," Constable Tina Hunt told Narcity in an email.
There have been other threats at Ontario high schools this month, including in Hamilton and Aurora.
The Renfrew Collegiate teens have since been released and are set to appear at the Ontario Offence Court in Renfrew.
Police are urging the public to contact Renfrew Ontario Provincial Police at 613-432-3211 with any information or to make an anonymous tip at 1-800-222-8477.