Two teens are facing charges after police say several Hamilton schools received online threats earlier this week.
Accordig to investigators, the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board discovered a post on its Twitter account shortly after 10 p.m. on Sunday from a suspect who threatened an unspecified school.
An investigation was initiated and police say they subsequently identified the author of the post.
A 16-year-old Ancaster boy was later arrested and charged on Monday night in connection with the incident.
Just days later, the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board contacted police about a threat it received against one of its high schools.
According to police, the threat was received overnight Tuesday on a social media chat group and was later passed on to the school board, who contacted police on Wednesday morning.
A suspect, identified by police as a 15-year-old Hamilton boy, was arrested a short time later and has been charged with uttering threats.
The two teens cannot be identified under the provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
“Hamilton Police take these threats extremely seriously and investigate each threat to ensure schools remain safe places for students and staff. The consequences for making a threat may lead to arrest and criminal charges, as well as suspension or expulsion from school,” Hamilton police said in a news release issued Friday.
“We ask families to talk with their children about the seriousness of making violent threats. If your child is aware of a threat, contact police or inform your school principal immediately.”
Hamilton Police are warning students there are serious consequences after several #HamOnt schools received online threats this week. Two students were charged in separate incidents & both will appear in court next month. Read more:https://t.co/rvGI1lRABk pic.twitter.com/a8IVoHJrtN
— Hamilton Police (@HamiltonPolice) October 11, 2019
The incidents come as Hamilton residents continue to cope with the tragic loss of a 14-year-old student who was stabbed to death outside a high school earlier this week.
Devan Selvey was fatally stabbed in front of his mother outside Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School on Monday afternoon.
His mother previously told reporters that her son had been the victim of ongoing bullying since the start of the school year.
Two suspects, an 18-year-old male and a 14-year-old boy, have been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the stabbing.
