Teen facing charges after making threat to Halifax high school
16-year-old boy facing multiple charges
A 16-year-old boy has been charged after police say he threatened Citadel High School in Halifax.
In a news conference Thursday, Halifax Regional Police Chief Don MacLean said police received information of the threat against the school and immediately acted upon it, arresting the boy without incident around 3 a.m. Wednesday at his home in Halifax.
"I know this is alarming, and I'm here today to provide reassurance that our officers have been working around the clock to ensure students can go to school feeling safe," said MacLean.
"While it is natural to react to these types of events with fear, I do urge people to also react with compassion. Youth who consider violence as their last resort have been facing their own struggles and can be difficult to understand."
The boy, whose identity is protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, made an appearance Thursday afternoon in youth justice court.
Speaking in court, Crown prosecutor Terry Nickerson alleged the accused phoned a suicide prevention hotline and said he wanted to open fire in Citadel High School before taking his own life. Hotline operators called police, who went to the boy's home and arrested him.
A subsequent search found weapons, including firearms, and ammunition in the house. The firearms were all legal and properly stored, Nickerson said, but caused concern because of the alleged threat so police seized the weapons.
Nickerson said the teen's electronic devices were seized, but had not yet been unlocked.
Teen to remain in custody
The boy was remanded to custody until a bail hearing next Wednesday. He is to have no contact with any student at Citadel.
Police initially said Thursday morning he was charged with possession of a prohibited weapon without a licence but then said Thursday afternoon he was not actually facing that charge.
Police also initially said he was facing two counts of possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose but later said it was actually only one count.
Nickerson told CBC News the weapon in question is a set of brass knuckles.
The boy is also facing a charge of unsafe storage of ammunition and a charge of uttering threats.
Police said in a news release they would have a presence at the high school on Thursday to support students and staff.
While the investigation is "ongoing and complex," police said investigators do not believe there is a current threat to the school and do not believe anyone else is involved in the incident.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Halifax Regional Centre for Education (HRCE) said police contacted Citadel High School administrators on Wednesday with information about a potential threat directed at the school.
"As always, the safety of students and staff is HRCE's top priority," wrote Lindsey Bunin. "All potential threats are taken seriously."
Bunin said school counsellors are available to students who wish to connect at any time.
Nan McFadgen, president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) in Nova Scotia, said the incident has left many school staff shaken.
CUPE represents 5,000 school support staff across the province, including custodians, bus drivers and educational program assistants.
"It's scary, it's concerning," McFadgen said in an interview Thursday. "I think everyone, every Nova Scotian, realizes that this could have ended in a different way, and everybody's grateful that it didn't."
McFadgen said many school staff face violence at work, but this seems like an escalation.
"In particular for us here in Nova Scotia ... it's not something we think about often, guns and gun violence," she said. "So it tends to add another level to the experience for workers."
Peter Day, president of the Nova Scotia Teacher's Union, said in an interview with CBC Nova Scotia News at Six that schools are faced with "so many" mental health issues.
"Our school psychologists, our school counselors, these teachers, specialists who work with our students day in, day out, they're overwhelmed and they're struggling to meet the needs of those students because caseloads are so high," he said.
Citadel High School is located on Trollope Street in the heart of the city. In 2023, it had a student population of 1,530.
If you or someone you know is struggling, here's where to look for help:
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Canada's Suicide Crisis Helpline: Call or text 988.
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Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868. Text 686868. Live chat counselling on the website.
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Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention: Find a 24-hour crisis centre.
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This guide from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health outlines how to talk about suicide with someone you're worried about.
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With files from Blair Rhodes, Josh Hoffman, Nicola Seguin and Tom Murphy
