Lockdown lifted at Toronto high school after 19-year-old student stabbed in chest

WATCH ABOVE: Police issued a lockdown at Central Technical School in Toronto after a 19-year-old was stabbed on the first day of school. The lockdown was lifted, but police are still searching for suspects. Mark Carcasole has the story.

TORONTO — Toronto police have lifted a lockdown Central Technical School after a 19-year-old student was stabbed outside of the high school on Tuesday, the first day back from summer vacation.

Const. Victor Kwong said police responded to the call outside of the school near Bathurst Street and Harbord Street just after 1 p.m, where the 19-year-old man was found with multiple stab wounds to the chest.

Kwong said two people were seen running into the school but it was not clear if they were suspects or were running from the incident. He added that there are currently few details on suspects.

Toronto paramedics said they transported the man to a local trauma centre with serious injuries, and police said he was conscious, breathing and alert.

Toronto District School Board spokesman Ryan Bird said the student was stabbed in a laneway just outside of the building.

Bird said TDSB put the school into lockdown as a precaution on the advice of Toronto police. The lockdown was lifted Tuesday afternoon.

Police have set up a command post at Lippincott Street and Lennox Street as they search for any suspects.

The TDSB website classifies a “lockdown” and a “hold and secure” for these types of incidents separately.

Lockdown: 

• A Lockdown is used in a serious emergency situation where the threat is inside a school, on or very near to school property. A Lockdown minimizes access and visibility in an effort to shelter students, staff and visitors in secure locations. Similar to a Hold and Secure, all outer doors are locked; however a Lockdown requires that all students be kept in classrooms or other designated locations and that inner doors also be locked where possible. Entry to, and exit from, the building is restricted to emergency services personnel only. During a Lockdown, lights are turned off in the classroom/office, curtains/blinds are closed where possible, cell phone use is restricted and all people inside the building should remain quiet. During a Lockdown, school phones will not be answered as the administration is tending to the ongoing situation. As cell phone use is restricted, students are asked not to use phones until cleared to do so.

Hold and Secure: 

• A Hold and Secure is a response to a threat and/or incident in the general vicinity of a school, but not on or very near to school property. School life continues as normal inside the school; however, as a precautionary measure, outer doors are locked and no one enters or leaves the building. As a result of Secure Access Systems that are installed at TDSB Elementary schools, outer doors are typically locked during the learning day.