RCMP investigate gun threat towards West Kelowna students

WEST KELOWNA — There is a police presence at Mount Boucherie Secondary School in West Kelowna.

One student at the school told Global Okanagan there was a gun threat towards students at the school.

Kelowna RCMP Cst. Joe Duncan says there was no evacuation at the school.

Duncan says the original threat was made in the form of an Instagram post on Wednesday night.

“The words that were used could be construed as threatening,” says Duncan.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "The words that were used could be construed as threatening," says Duncan.

Duncan says police investigated the incident and the school opened as usual on Thursday morning.

“RCMP take threats very seriously,” says Duncan.

“The Kelowna RCMP will investigate the matter thoroughly and if need be, lay the appropriate criminal charge. We ask people to always take the precaution of notifying their local police when they come across posts or comments on social media sites that are of a threatening nature.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "The Kelowna RCMP will investigate the matter thoroughly and if need be, lay the appropriate criminal charge. We ask people to always take the precaution of notifying their local police when they come across posts or comments on social media sites that are of a threatening nature."

Superintendent for the Central Okanagan School District, Hugh Gloster, adds a text message had also been sent uttering a threat.

“One young lad who is not in school, he’s involved in taking online course work, sent the message to a couple students at Mount Boucherie. It was a potential threat to students,” says Gloster.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "One young lad who is not in school, he's involved in taking online course work, sent the message to a couple students at Mount Boucherie. It was a potential threat to students," says Gloster.

Gloster says the student who allegedly sent the text message(s) and posted to Instagram threatening students at the school has been interviewed by police, as have his parents.

“When  something like that happens in this day and age some people make decisions like I’m not going to school,” says Gloster.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "When  something like that happens in this day and age some people make decisions like I'm not going to school," says Gloster.

He says a letter will be sent home for parents of students in the community to explain the situation.

Gloster says while the words used on social media and via text message Tuesday night were threatening; there is no real danger to the students.

No details were provided about the wording used in the social media post or text message(s). Duncan says the investigation is ongoing.