BB gun was source of weapons call at Vernon school lockdown: Police

A weapons complaint at a North Okanagan high school that was locked down earlier this week turned out to be a BB gun.

Police say the call came in Wednesday at noon, reporting a person with a possible firearm in the parking lot at Vernon Secondary School.

“Witnesses told staff the person had left (the parking lot) in a vehicle and, to ensure the safety of the school and students, administrators initiated a hold-and-secure and called police,” said Vernon RCMP.

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“Frontline officers responded to the school and area and quickly identified the suspect who was arrested without incident at another location.

“Through their investigation, police determined the suspected firearm was a BB gun.”

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The 18-year-old was released from custody later that afternoon for a court date later on.

“From our investigation, there hasn’t been any indication there was any direct threat to the safety of the school,” said Const. Chris Terleski.

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“However, in response to any potential dangers, the Vernon North Okanagan RCMP and School District 22 will take any and all necessary action to ensure the safety of our students and schools.

“We are working closely in partnership with SD22 as we continue our investigation and want to thank everyone for their patience and cooperation as we worked to safely resolve the situation.”