A report of an alleged threat involving weapons prompted Cornwall police to lock down a high school and investigate for about three hours on Friday, but officers found no evidence to substantiate that threat, the local police service said a few hours after lifting the lockdown.
Police first reported at 11 a.m. that they had launched an investigation at Cornwall Collegiate and Vocational School, located at 437 Sydney St., and the building was under lockdown – but they did not say why.
“Our officers responded immediately, and through the course of their investigation, were able to effectively rule out any potential threat,” Cornwall police chief Danny Aikman wrote in a statement.
The police service said its officers and members of the Cornwall emergency response team searched the high school “in its entirety.”
“As a result of the investigation, no evidence was located to substantiate the threat,” the statement said.
Earlier on Friday, while the lockdown was still ongoing, police confirmed that no one had been injured and that students and staff members were “safely secured under lockdown.”
Police lifted the lockdown just before 2 p.m., saying students were dismissed from school for the day.
“While today’s occurrence was not a drill, the events that transpired speak to the importance of everyone having an understanding of their roles during a school lockdown,” Aikman said. “The cooperation of all students, staff members and parents during a school lockdown is crucial to the success and integrity of the operation.”
Cornwall police urge anyone with information about Friday’s incident to contact 613-933-5000 ext. 2727 or use ext. 2404 to submit a tip anonymously.
Cornwall is about 100 kilometres southeast of Ottawa.
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