Police arrest man, 18, after gun seen on school bus; Bishop Tonnos locked down
In an era riddled with mass shootings – Columbine, École Polytechnique, Dawson College, and most recently, Las Vegas – schools are mandated to be prepared for the worst
A BISHOP TONNOS FORMER Catholic Secondary School student triggered a manhunt that sent his former high school into lockdown Wednesday morning after he was spotted on the school bus allegedly carrying what appeared to be a handgun.
The gun ended up being a replica, but Hamilton police say they always treat any threat to a school as true, throwing all possible resources at the situation.
“When it comes to schools ... we take every call seriously until it has been disproven,” said Const. Hannah Carter.
The terrifying ordeal lasted more than an hour and a half, with students hiding under their desks and some barricading doors as police searched the Ancaster school not knowing if there was a potential shooter.
Around 9:30 a.m. police announced they found the suspect at an unspecified location off the Panabaker Drive school’s property. He was arrested allegedly in possession of an “imitation handgun.”
The 18-year-old was believed to have been riding the
school bus to get to his job, Carter said. While on the bus, a student saw the gun and alerted staff at the school.
Police later said they’d charged an 18year-old Hamilton man with possessing a dangerous weapon and a controlled substance.
The accused, whom police didn’t name, was released on a promise to appear in court at a future date.
In a statement, the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board said it’s “reviewing procedures regarding the identification of students eligible for transportation to and from our schools” in light of what happened.
In the post-Columbine High School massacre era, police and schools follow clear protocols for threats, Carter said.
It’s a sliding scale that begins with “shelter in place,” which involves shutting doors to keep out threats such as a chemical spill. Then there is “hold and secure” in response to potential dangers in the area but not on school grounds; all exterior doors are locked and staff are posted as guards.
Finally, there is “lockdown,” a reaction to “a major incident of threat in relation to the school,” Carter said. In these cases, all doors are locked and movement is restricted. This can mean hiding under desks or moving to a more secure area depending on the school’s plan and classroom.
All schools in Ontario are mandated to have at least two lockdown drills a year. Bishop Tonnos had just done a practice drill last week, the board said.
Provincial legislation updated several years ago mandated that schools across the province use the same language to define lockdowns, hold and secure and shelter in place.
School boards follow detailed lockdown procedures, have regular training and there is coordination among local boards and police.
Bishop Tonnos principal Carmelo Barone commended students and staff in the lockdown Wednesday for an “an exemplary response.”
This is the second consecutive day where police had a heavy presence at a Hamilton school.
On Tuesday, St. Augustine Catholic Elementary School in Dundas was evacuated after a suspicious package was found in the building. The explosive disposal unit responded and found the package wasn’t a threat.
Carter said the package was made to look like a bomb with wires and a circuit board. It was found in the ceiling tile of a bathroom. That investigation is ongoing.
On Wednesday, the suspect was not believed to have made any threat against Bishop Tonnos, but once the bus stopped, it wasn’t clear where he went, Carter said.
The lockdown began around 8 a.m. and was lifted around 9:45 a.m., with students allowed to slowly leave the school to meet their anxious parents. Classes were cancelled for the day.
Students and staff who were already in the building when it was placed in lockdown remained in the school throughout the ordeal. Students who arrived afterward were sent to the nearby Resurrection Catholic Cemetery on Garner Road West for pickup.
The heavy police presence included uniform patrol officers doing a search of the school. They found everyone was safe, and, as tactical officers moved to conduct a second sweep of the school, there came word of the suspect’s arrest.
Police offered victim services to help students and staff traumatized by the ordeal. The Catholic school board also deployed its Compassionate Care Crisis Response Team.
In an unrelated incident, Queen Mary, Adelaide Hoodless and Notre-Dame schools were placed in a hold and secure Wednesday between 2:15 and 2:50 p.m. because of a police investigation in the area.
Police said there was no public safety concern.
Sharon Stephani, a superintendent at the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board, said officials always err on the side of caution when it comes to threats.
“We take every potential threat as serious,” she said. “You can never be too prepared or too cautious when it comes to safety.”
Anyone with information that could assist in the Bishop Tonnos investigation is asked to contact Acting Staff Sgt. David Brady at 905-546-3851.
Anyone with information about the St. Augustine incident is asked to call 905546-4930 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-2228477.