Two youths have been charged, following an incident where threats were allegedly made against another young person, and a knife was later seized by staff at a junior high school.
Halifax District RCMP said they were called to Leslie Thomas Junior High in Lower Sackville on Tuesday at 2:20 p.m. after staff had taken the knife away from the youth.
“The school was placed on hold and secure and no injuries were reported. RCMP officers immediately arrived at the school and safely arrested the male youth,” RCMP said in a release.
Police noted the hold and secure was lifted at 2:45 p.m. and that “at no time were threats made to students or staff at the school.”
Lindsey Bunin, a spokesperson for Halifax Regional Centre for Education, told Global News that RCMP were called after staff “became aware of a possible threat.”
“School staff is working closely with RCMP as the safety of our students and staff is our highest priority,” she said.
RCMP said that through their investigation, they learned the youth and a second male youth had threated a third young person while at a strip mall on Sackville Drive earlier in the day.
Officers later arrested the second suspect.
Both youths were released on conditions and will appear in youth court next month to face a charge of uttering threats. The first youth will also face a charge of possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.
The incident comes one day after a student at Charles P. Allen High School in Bedford allegedly stabbed two staff members and himself.
The 15-year-old is facing two counts of attempted murder.
Ryan Lutes, president of the Nova Scotia Teachers Union, said in an interview on Tuesday that teachers have reported an increased level of violence in the past few years. He added that the union wants the province to conduct a review into violence in schools.
“I think it’s incumbent upon all stakeholders in the system to put our heads together and look at ways that we can make our school safer,” he said.
— with a file from Global News’ Karla Renic