Guns at high school result in arrest of two men
Windsor police are crediting students and staff at Vincent Massey Secondary School for immediately alerting them about people coming to the school property with guns and looking for a student.
The case occurred on Thursday and resulted in the arrests of two 18-year-old males and the seizure of two firearms.
Police described the incident as a “dangerous situation,” and commended those who quickly reported it.
“Investigators believe the incident was targeted around an altercation that occurred between students earlier in the week,” police said. “Any illegal firearm is a concern in our community. To bring a firearm close to a school environment is unacceptable to our community.”
The call came around 12:20 p.m. School officials contacted police after being told by a number of students about a car that had been on the school property at 1800 Liberty St.
According to the students, the vehicle — a white Ford Focus — had two male occupants who said they were looking for a specific student.
The suspects were seen with firearms. The vehicle left the area before patrol officers arrived.
After speaking with multiple witnesses, police attended a South Windsor home associated with the suspects. Shortly before 1 p.m., police found the white Ford Focus parked at a house in the 1400 block of Helsinki Court.
The area was contained by police, including members of the tactical team.
Two males came out of the house and were arrested without further trouble.
One of the suspects — a male from Brampton — was found to be in possession of two firearms and a quantity of Xanax.
Dave Patel, 18, of Brampton, faces 11 charges related to firearms including possession of a loaded firearm, possession of a firearm with an altered serial number and pointing a firearm.
He has also been charged with possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking.
Also arrested was Simranjot Gill, 18, of Windsor, who is charged with two counts of occupying a motor vehicle with a firearm.
No one was hurt in the incident. Windsor police commended the students who co-operated and said school staff did “a tremendous job” in their response.
“The great communication between involved parties assisted in the prompt locating and arrest of the involved offenders,” police said in a statement.
“We believe that the quick reporting by the students and staff greatly assisted in the successful removal of two firearms from our streets, and the two charged individuals must now answer to their actions in a court of law.”
Sharon Pyke, superintendent of education in charge of student well-being for the Greater Essex
County District School Board, said lockdown measures weren’t deemed necessary due to the speed with which it was handled.
“It was only minutes from the time we got information, to the time we called police, to when police responded,” Pyke said.
“Two school administrators immediately went out to see if the white car was there. Determining it was not, they came back into the school and had a quick discussion. By then, police had arrived.”
Like Windsor police, Pyke praised the Massey students and staff for their decisive action. “It was truly amazing. We have a protocol, and it was done to the T .... There wasn’t a need, at that point, for any kind of further disruption to the school.”
However, Pyke agreed that “this was a concerning situation, no doubt about it,” and illegal firearms are an issue for all of Windsor — not just school communities.
“Our schools are safe,” Pyke emphasized. “We have a lot of protocols and a lot of training. We work super well with our law enforcement and other organizations. What was good (in this incident) is that our students saw it and reported it directly. That was a huge positive.”
Regarding the substance one of the suspects was found to be carrying, Pyke said she had no information about Xanax being abused by students — indeed, she wasn’t aware until now that it can be used as an illicit recreational drug.
“To be honest ... that took me aback,” Pyke said. “It’s not something typical I’d hear.”