Police called to Kitchener high school after bomb hoax discovered on social media

Waterloo regional police were called to a Kitchener high school on Wednesday morning to investigate a bomb hoax found on social media.

A spokesperson for the Waterloo Catholic District School Board said school officials discovered a message on social media that said a bomb had been found at St. Mary’s High School on Block Line Road.

The author of the message claimed it was “satire,” although it is unclear if they understand the meaning of the word.

“Waterloo Regional Police were consulted and while the statement that was posted is false, the school chose to use this incident as an opportunity to practice their bomb threat protocols,” the spokesperson for the board told Global News in an email.

“The safety, security and wellbeing of students, staff and visitors is always WCDSB’s top priority, and all threats – however framed – are taken very seriously.”

They went on to note that the message was a “dangerous and serious crime.”

The spokesperson also noted: “It’s really important for the Waterloo Region community to understand that making a threat of violence against a school – regardless of the context – is not funny or clever.”

The board says they are still looking to discover who posted the initial message and are asking anyone with information to call police.