Police search for caller who threatened to bring weapon to Bishop Ryan
Bishop Ryan Catholic Secondary School was in lockdown for more than four hours on Monday
FOR MORE THAN four hours students hid inside locked, darkened classrooms at Bishop Ryan Catholic Secondary School, as tactical officers methodically searched room by room for a possible gunman. Hamilton police had been called to 1824 Rymal Rd. E. after the high school received two threatening calls from a male shortly before 8 a.m. Monday, just as school was about to begin.
“I can’t go into the exact nature of the calls, but there was a threat to bring a weapon to the school and harm teachers and students,” said Supt. Will Mason. The school instantly called 911, drawing a significant police presence, and initiated a lockdown.
Police now believe “there was no validity to the threat.”
By 12:30 p.m. tactical officers from the emergency response unit (ERU) had cleared every room and let the students leave to find their anxious, awaiting parents. Students ran to tearfully hug their parents. A couple of students required medical assessment after feeling faint or ill after being escorted from the school.
“I can’t go into the exact nature of the calls, but there was a threat to bring a weapon to the school and harm teachers and students.” SUPT. WILL MASON Hamilton police
WITH THE SCHOOL and all of its roughly 2,000 students “100 per cent safe,” the investigation is now focused on finding the voice on the other end of the phone. Police promise to devote significant resources to the “complex” investigation, with Mason vowing the case won’t be closed without charges.
When the calls came in, many students were in their classrooms and some in the hallways and common areas. Some buses had not yet arrived.
Students not in locked-down classrooms were evacuated and students whose buses had not yet arrived were redirected to nearby Our Lady of Assumption Catholic Elementary School where police were also stationed to meet with parents.
Marisa Ricciotti has a daughter in Grade 11 and nephew in Grade 10 at the school who were texting her from inside their locked classrooms.
“They’re OK and feel safe,” she said, as she waited for answers. “It’s scary as a parent.”
As the students waited in their locked classrooms, rumours swirled about a possible gunman, with students texting and posed on social media from inside classrooms.
Some photos shared showed armed tactical officers, others showed darkened rooms. Frightened and frustrated parents gathered, looking for answers.
Kim Macleod said she only found out what was happening when her Grade 11 son called her from outside the school to say he was safe and wanted to go to a friend’s house.
She questioned why she wasn’t called by the school and wanted more information.
“I’m still scared,” she said.
“We do recognize in these situations a lot information can spread very, very quickly through social media,” Mason said. “We recognize that parents are desperate for as much information as we can possibly give.”
He said police shared as much information as they could, but had to protect the integrity of their ongoing investigation.
In these type of situations the Hamilton Wentworth Catholic District School Board takes its direction from Hamilton police, said spokesperson Marnie Jadon. The school board followed as police posted updates on Twitter and retweeted and posted to the school’s website.
A letter will be going home to parents Monday, along with a synrevoice message, she added.
“We are very grateful to our staff as well as Hamilton police for their leadership and support.”
Crisis counsellors were made available to students and classes were cancelled for the rest of the day Monday.
A lockdown is a procedure that happens in response to a threat or possible threat inside the school and involves the all doors and windows being locked.
It is a higher response level than a hold and secure, which is in reaction to a threat outside the school, and involves only entrances and exits to the school being locked, with regular classroom activity continuing.
Once a lockdown has been initiated, Bishop Ryan’s policy says the statement, “The school is now in lockdown” is announced three times over the PA system followed by an alarm.
Teachers in a classroom are to ask anyone in the hallway to come inside, lock the door, turn out the lights and close the blinds. Everyone is to move away from doors and windows, and lay down in prone position on the floor.
Once police arrived, the tactical officers began searching. They moved slowly to one room at a time. Once a room was deemed safe it was secured and police moved on to the next.
When police arrived at rooms with students, the students and staff remained in the rooms as officers searched and then secured the room, Mason said.
“We always take threats like this very seriously, there is definitely a heightened awareness both with us and the public with what’s happened down in the states,” he said.
Shared photos showed armed tactical officers, others showed darkened rooms. Frightened and frustrated parents gathered, looking for answers.