Dunton Academy, a high school in the Anjou borough, announced Friday that it was closing its doors for the whole day because of “worrying” comments made the day before on social networks. One or more individuals reportedly threatened to show up with a weapon on the premises of the establishment.
In a message sent to the parents of the students on Friday morning, the school principal explains that information was sent to the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) on Thursday evening, due to “worrying messages”, adding that the police force “is currently analyzing the situation”. “As a preventive measure, all classes are suspended for the day,” wrote the director, Mullie Régis.
At the SPVM, spokesperson Jean-Pierre Brabant confirms that the police were quickly made aware of the situation. “We are talking about a message that was sent yesterday that there would be someone who would show up with a weapon. The management then contacted us immediately, ”he explains.
According to our information, it is a message published on an Instagram account which would have put the chip in the ear to the administration of the school, then to the authorities. It read that a ” school shooting Would take place on Friday.
A retraced residence
In the hours following this report to the police, the latter said they were able to trace the residence where the user lived who made these threats online. Agents are due to go there on Friday to meet with residents and try to determine who could have sent the initial threat and, more importantly, for what reason.
A “strong police presence” will also be ensured around this school located very close to Place Versailles, throughout the morning in order to inform students and parents who did not have the information that the school is closed for the whole day.
For its part, the Center de services scolaire de Montréal (CSSDM) did not give further details on the situation when called upon to react.
This case is reminiscent of the case of Heritage high school in Saint-Hubert, which was closed at the end of November for the whole day, in the wake of “threatening remarks” for which a minor has been arrested. It was also far from the first time that a police operation was to be held in this establishment. In recent history, it was the second time in just a few days that the Longueuil police had been called upon to intervene in this school.
Recall that on Thursday, a 16-year-old student stabbed a teacher at John-F school. -Kennedy in the Saint-Michel district. For a reason still unknown, the third secondary pupil would have attacked in class his teacher, a man in his forties, with “a sharp object or sharp object”.
The young man was quickly arrested by the police. The teacher suffered upper body injuries, but there is no fear for his life.