Update 12 noon –
Kamloops RCMP say the threat at Sa-Hali Secondary School this morning was unfounded.
Cpl. Jodi Shelkie says every threat made on a school is taken very seriously, noting this one is still under investigation.
After three threats on local schools in a week, she is urging parents to speak to their kids about the seriousness of the incidents.
“It takes a tremendous amount of resources both on the part of the RCMP and of the school district,” Shelkie said. “We have to react to these threats, to investigate these threats. You know these resources are police officers that could have been responding to other calls.”
School District 73 officials say classes at Sa-Hali Secondary School will resume at 1:40 pm.
Assistant Superintendent Bill Hamblett confirms the evacuation was because of graffiti that said ‘there is a bomb’ on the side of the school, which caused a lot of disruption.
“The School District takes safety of staff and students as it’s highest priority,” Hamblett told NL. “We work closely with the RCMP to investigate all concerning situations and every threat made on a school is taken seriously.”
Hamblett couldn’t comment on if this threat was linked to a similar threat at Valleyview Secondary last week – where similar graffiti was tagged on the building.
“This is a conversation that parents needs to have with their schildren, that this behaviour is not acceptable,” he added. “It’s not going to be tolerated I tell you, that’s for sure.”
Update –
Sa-Hali Secondary School has been evacuated after a threat was made against the school this morning.
Kamloops RCMP Cpl. Jodi Shelkie says students who live near the school are asked to stay home, while those who have gone to school are to meet their teachers in the Sa-Hali Secondary school field. She now says police are hopeful students will be back in class before 1 p.m. but couldn’t say for sure.
“Once we’ve been able to determine that the threat is false and that the school is safe, students and staff will be allowed back into class,” Shelkie said. “School District 73 will be contacting all parents and guardians to let them know when it is safe for their children to return to school.”
People at the scene told NL News someone graffiti’d a threat on the side of the school building, reading “there is a bomb.”
Shelkie says police aren’t able to confirm the nature of the threat, and the Kamloops-Thompson School District has also not commented nature of the incident.
This is the third threat made against a Kamloops school in a week, after a snapchat video threatened Sa-Hali Secondary last Wednesday, and a bomb threat was painted on Valleyview Secondary last Friday.
Original –
Kamloops RCMP are on scene this morning at Sa-Hali Secondary school.
The details are still sparse right now, but a caller to the NL newsroom says a threat was made towards the school.
Cpl. Jodi Shelkie tells NL News that School District 73 and Sa-Hali secondary school officials are making a plan for staff and students at the moment.
We’ll have the latest information at NL News as it becomes available.
– With files from Colton Davies
The sight right now at Sahali Secondary. Building has been vacated and all students and staff are on the field. @RadioNLNews #Kamloops pic.twitter.com/ehR6xGcq77
— Colton Davies (@ColtonDavies_) September 18, 2019
New: People at scene tell me someone graffiti’d “there is a bomb” on the side of Sahali Secondary. That hasn’t been confirmed by @KamloopsRCMP and I‘m not close enough to see. That would be the same thing that happened at Valleyview Secondary last week. @RadioNLNews #Kamloops pic.twitter.com/v7lkmObmDc
— Colton Davies (@ColtonDavies_) September 18, 2019
