POINTE-CLAIRE – Three students have been arrested at École secondaire Félix-Leclerc after a graffiti threat targeting John Rennie High School in Pointe-Claire made the rounds online.
They face charges of intimidation and conspiracy to commit armed assault.
“We have to take it seriously to be sure if we’re facing a serious one or even if it’s just a joke,” Montreal police spokesperson André Leclerc told Global News.
The message was scrawled on a city bus and reads “John Rennie massacre shooting – kill them all” and lists Friday’s date.
As parents dropped off their children Friday, many were upset over the lack of information provided by the school.
“I’m not happy at all, I got no information whatsoever,” said Saverio Pagano.
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“My daughter was complaining that all her friends are not going to school because they saw a threat on Instagram about some shooting. We got no calls, no nothing.”
John Rennie administrators sent out a Facebook message to students and parents Thursday night saying the day will go on as normal, with added security.
“At this time, there is no reason to believe that the safety of students or staff is in any way compromised,” the school’s letter stated.
“However, as a precautionary measure, and in an effort to reassure parents and students, the Montreal police will be present during the entire school day.”
David Meloche, with the Lester B. Pearson School Board (LBPSB) told Global News parents will have an updated message from the school board by the end of the day.
John Rennie and Félix-Leclerc are rival schools and there are currently two investigations going on: one into the graffiti threat and the other into a dispute between students.
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