In the aftermath of a devastating shooting spree that left six children and two adults dead in the small northern B.C. town, schools in at least three communities across Alberta have dealt with firearms reports that turned out to be false, while a fourth had a man acting erratically while in possession of a toy gun.
Mounties in Alberta have seen an uptick in calls about reports of firearm sightings, which RCMP Corp. Mathew Howell said was expected.
“It’s something we’ve noticed with a lot of traumatic events in the past,” Howell said on Thursday.
“That will, in a lot of people, spike that fight-or-flight response and that vigilance.”
RCMP said people become more aware after incidents like this week’s school shooting in Tumbler Ridge, and police encourage citizens to trust their gut and call 911 if something seems off.
“Even if, in the end, it turns out there was no incident or it turns out there was no firearm or whatever the case may be — it’s always better to call it in and to be sure than to brush it off.”
In light of the tragedy in B.C., Premier Danielle Smith and Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said school boards will be asked to audit their security measures.
“At the same time I’ll also be conducting an audit of provincial standards with respect to security measures, to make sure that we have adequate minimum standards for our school divisions and evaluate whether those minimum standards need to be elevated or updated,” Nicolaides said.
High River
The latest happened Thursday in southern Alberta. RCMP in High River received a report around 10:30 a.m. from École Secondaire Highwood High of a threat received at the school.
An unknown person called and said that someone would be going to the school with firearms, police said.
The school was placed in a hold and secure while it was searched by staff and police officers, whom the RCMP said arrived within two minutes of receiving the call.
During a hold and secure, exterior doors are locked so people can’t move in and out of the building, but operations inside carry on as normal.
The hold and secure was lifted by the noon hour, RCMP said, adding officers would remain on site for the rest of the day.
The incident came as Foothills School Division has lowered its flags until next week out of respect for the community of Tumbler Ridge.
“We are profoundly saddened by the tragic events that unfolded,” said a joint statement by superintendent Chris Fuzessy and board chair Theresa Letendre.
“Schools are places of safety, connection, and belonging. When violence touches a school community, it reverberates far beyond its walls.”
Fort McMurray
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Thursday’s gun incident south of Calgary comes after two other Alberta communities also dealt with similar scenarios on Wednesday.
Wood Buffalo RCMP in Fort McMurray received a call around 2:42 p.m. stating that a student had brought a firearm to school.
Fort McMurray Public Schools said Frank Spragins High School briefly transitioned into a lockdown while officers from multiple RCMP departments converged upon the building.
Upon arrival, Mounties said they found a suspect, who was taken into custody, but no firearm was located.
“In light of the events in Tumbler Ridge, we understand that reports of this nature may cause heightened concern for students, families, and staff,” Fort McMurray Public Schools Superintendent Annalee Nutter said in a memo posted to school’s website.
“Please know that we approach situations like this with seriousness, care, and a strong commitment to safety.”
The division acknowledged even when situations are resolved safely, they can create stress or anxiety, so a support team was made available on Thursday for students and staff.
“We will review our response, as we do after any incident, and address any areas for improvement if needed. We are committed to transparency and to responding directly and responsibly to concerns.”
Sherwood Park
The third incident this week happened in the Edmonton region, just east of the city at a high school and junior high in Sherwood Park.
Just before 10 a.m. Wednesday, Strathcona County RCMP said it received a report of a person with a possible firearm in their pocket at the Strathcona Athletic Park in Sherwood Park.
The nearby Bev Facey Community High was put on lockdown while F.R. Haythorne Junior High was placed in a hold and secure.
Police said they quickly responded to the park and searched the area.
RCMP said they found the purported suspect and confirmed the man didn’t have a gun and no offences were committed.
The status of the schools were lifted over the noon hour.
On Thursday, Strathcona County’s public school division, Elk Island Public Schools, issued a statement of condolence for Tumbler Ridge, B.C.
“The recent shootings at Tumbler Ridge Secondary have deeply shocked and saddened all of us,” said EIPS board chair Colleen Holowaychuck.
“Our thoughts are with students, staff and families who are now navigating this devastating tragedy.”
Elk Island said all its schools and head office have also lowered their flags to honour those lost in the school shooting.
Edson
The fourth incident in which a person did have a replica gun occurred Tuesday in western Alberta.
RCMP said officers from Edson, about 1.5 hours west of Edmonton, were called on Tuesday about a man reportedly acting strangely outside Mary Bergeron School.
“The call came in as a cap gun and not a real firearm,” said RCMP Corp. Mathew Howell. “That being said, when it comes to police response, police response is always the same. We err on the side of caution and public safety is always a priority.”
Police said the man was seen throwing beef jerky and yelling bible verses at students. While the situation sounds laughable, RCMP said it still counts as violent behaviour.
“Yes, we’re talk about beef jerky, but technically throwing an item at someone is technically considered assault, so he was technically assaulting kids and then pulled out what turned out to be an imitation firearm.”
Investigators allege when the principal approached, the man pulled out the cap gun and fired three shots in their direction before leaving in a car.
Police said the man randomly showed up at the school and no student witnessed the cap gun incident.
Officers tracked down the vehicle, which took off heading west down the Yellowhead Highway and was pursued by several police units, including a canine team and air services.
After traveling a long distance on Highway 16 west to Hinton, RCMP said the vehicle turned off onto secondary roads north of the highway and ended up stopping on a private farm east of Hinton.
The man got out of the vehicle and was arrested without incident.
A 39-year-old man from Dawson Creek, B.C., was charged with mischief, dangerous driving, fleeing from police and imitation firearm charges.
— With files The Canadian Press
