Two students at Greenall High School in Balgonie were arrested Wednesday after a firearm was spotted in the area.
“I recognize that this is a very scary experience for students, for teachers and for parents. This situation was brought under control quickly and safely,” Insp. Jill McLaren told reporters Wednesday.
“Someone saw something and said something.”
According to McLaren, a passerby on the nearby Trans Canada Highway spotted the suspicious activity on a road adjacent to the highway and called police.
RCMP received the report at 11:05 a.m. Wednesday. Within 30 minutes of the call, two boys were arrested inside the school.
A total of three BB-style long guns were discovered in a vehicle outside.
As of 3 p.m. Wednesday, no charges have been laid in connection to the incident.
“It’s very early in this investigation. Police are still conducting interviews. We’re gathering evidence, and I can’t provide that information at this time,” McLaren noted.
No additional details were provided regarding the suspects, with RCMP citing the protections of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
“Keeping in mind that Greenall is a very small school. It might seem large. It’s not. It’s a small community, and providing any further information might identify those individuals,” McLaren said.
No injuries were reported, and there is no further risk to public safety, according to RCMP.
Gord Husband, director of education for Prairie Valley School Division, clarified that the school followed its “Hold and Secure” protocols and not its lockdown plan during the incident.
The difference between the two protocols being that “Hold and Secure” is activated when there is a threat outside the school, while a lockdown is used when the threat is inside the school.
“There is a distinct difference between the hold and secure and lockdown, and I can appreciate that those terms get intermixed in a lot of different communications,” Husband explained.
Additional precautions, such as moving students out of the hallways and into classrooms were also taken during Wednesday’s incident.
When questioned about whether a public safety alert was issued, McLaren noted the service was in the process of drafting the message when the incident ended.
“It was no longer necessary, simply because the public safety event had concluded,” she noted.
McLaren also warned residents of the threat of misinformation online.
“We want to caution the public about sharing information. Misinformation is harmful. We want to make sure that verified information is shared,” she said. “Reminder of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, if you are sharing information, you may be in breach of that.”
Balgonie is located approximately 20 kilometres east of Regina.
