It was a tense afternoon for students at O’Gorman High School.
The Catholic high school was under lock down for a couple of hours, police searched the building, and two people were arrested.
It all started when Timmins Police received information from staff that a threat had been made against the school.
“School officials were alerted to a social media post that included threatening remarks. They became concerned for the safety of the students and faculty of the school and immediately initiated a lock down procedure and contacted the Timmins Police Service,” reads a police news release.
Two young people were arrested, however it is not known at this time if charges have been laid.
The school board notified media about the lock down around 1:30 p.m. It was lifted just after 3 p.m.
In the parking lot at the school, parents had gathered, anxiously waiting in the rain for their children to come out of the school.
Grade 11 student Abby Bellefeuille was in a classroom near the cafeteria during the lock down.
After a couple of hours in the class, she said police “took us into the gym and they announced it, that there was a threat made, that everything’s now fine.”
She also explained the feeling in the school.
“A lot of the students were crying, the students that were in the classes where the cops were closer to because you could hear what they were saying, so they were crying. I think it was more nervous for the students when we had to leave our class to go to the gym and see the officers with the guns and stuff,” she said.
She said the students weren’t told what the threat is.
During the incident, police said they worked in cooperation with school officials to ensure the safety of students and staff.
“The students were permitted to leave at the end of the school day,” reads a Timmins Police update. “The incident was contained and there are no further safety concerns; however the investigation is continuing.”
Anyone with information about the incident should contact Timmins Police at 705-264-1201.
At Roland Michener in South Porcupine, there was also a police presence at the school today at the request of staff. The school board said it had learned about a threat made against the school, which was not deemed credible after the police investigated.
