A teen is speaking out about an incident allegedly involving a weapon at a Hamilton high school Friday, just days after a 14-year-old boy was killed outside another school in the city.
“That’s not the first time a weapon has been pulled on me this school year and it probably won’t be the last either,” said 15-year-old Joseph Poirier.
Poirier said he was involved in a school yard fight that quickly escalated.
He said it started online with another teen who allegedly showed up with an adult friend to Glendale Secondary School with weapons.
Poirier said the trio were arguing about a gaming system and had planned to fight it out after school, before one student brandished an axe.
“The one kid said, ‘I ain’t playing no more,’ and he lifted his shirt up and he had the axe there and everything, so I jumped back a couple steps and before I knew it the school was swarmed with cops.”
Hamilton police said officers were called to the school around 2:45 p.m. Friday and later arrested two teenagers in connection with the incident, a 17 year old and 18 year old, who initially fled the area.
The younger suspect was charged with threatening, possession of a weapon and carrying a concealed weapon, while the other suspect faces charges of possession of a weapon, carrying a concealed weapon and breach of release conditions.
“I wasn’t about to get stabbed over something stupid,” Poirier said.
No was was injured in the incident.
The incident happened on the heels of a tragedy that rocked Hamilton last week when a 14-year old boy was stabbed to death outside Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School on Monday.
On Saturday, a funeral was held for Devan Selvey in Stoney Creek where hundreds of people – including car and bike enthusiasts — turned up to show their support against bullying.
“If you’re a bully, there’s way more of us than you — please just stop. Find a way to get along with each other,” said Andrew Hines as he handed out pink ribbons to all who attended the funeral.
Those close to the Selvey family say the latest alleged act of violence within the school system is concerning.
They’re calling on officials with the Hamilton Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) to make changes inside the schools, including the installation of metal detectors.
“These issues should not be there. We should be loving, helping one another, but its not just that way,” said family friend Shawn Wager.
“What are we teaching our kids? I often wonder — what are we really teaching our kids?”
HWDSB says it is conducting its own safe schools investigation, looking at policies and expectations since Selvey’s death.
“That’s not the direction of the province to put metal detectors in schools so I would say we’ll be open to anything in terms of what we find out, but I wouldn’t see that as a strategy that we would implement,” explained Director of Education Manny Figueiredo during an interview with Global News Wednesday.
The HWDSB encourages students to use their anonymous tip service in an event they’re finding themselves in a troubling or complicated situation.
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