Police at entrance to Charlottetown Rural photo: CBC

Facebook threats has police on alert but school still open

Guardian reader asks “Why was this not announced to parents? If I had a kid at the school, I would have kept him/her home! Completely irresponsible. Let’s hope nothing happens.”

A Facebook chat has revealed threats of gun violence at Charlottetown Rural High School for today.

Parents were not warned, despite the existence of an automated telephone system that has the home phone number of every student.

Students report seeing two police cars and one paddy wagon at the school at drop off this morning. No one warned the students.

One student reported the threats came from one person who was not targeting a single student but the whole school. The said “it could of been bad if someone wasn’t notified!”

Since the threat was known last night, why did school superintendent Sandy MacDonald risk the safety of children unnecessarily?

These threats can be real and cause death and injury. Along with that the students can become traumatized by the experience.

After Columbine, parents would assume the school board has a safety first policy regarding these threats. Obviously there is no policy that assures the students’ safety first and foremost.

More Guardian parents speak out

parent from pei writes: I have a child at this school and I am concerned. I certainly would have kept him home today if I had of known of the threat. I think they should send the kids home ASAP!! I am sure the kids are scared

Bill from PE writes: I whole heartedly agree with Baffled From Pei I have a daughter there right now and I am going to pick her up, I AM NOT IMPRESSED AT ALL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How about a little more concern for the students ? Or would you rather use them for BAIT

Upset Mom from PEI writes: I agree with Baffled, I just found out about all this after my son who attends the rural in grade 10 phone me about a half hour ago. He’s scared and his father is picking him up right now. I am so angry that the school didn’t inform parents of this threat via email or radio or something to give parents the option of leaving their children home. It seems the school and/or law enforcement took our right to decide what’s right for our children away from us when they did that. I for one would not have sent my son to school today if I had of know.

CBC reports

Charlottetown Rural High School

CBC A Charlottetown high school has gone into lock-down mode following a shooting threat.

“Charlottetown Rural, in the north of the city, was locked down Wednesday morning after a threat appeared on Facebook Tuesday night. It said there would be a shooting Wednesday and people should hide.

While police described Charlottetown Rural as locked down, classes are continuing. All doors except the front door are locked and that door is guarded by uniformed police officers. Other officers are patrolling the grounds and the school building.

Police first heard about the threat in a complaint from a student at 9:30 p.m. Tuesday.

“There was a posting that come up on Facebook and all it said was, ‘There will be a shooting tomorrow at chtn rural high school’ and ‘hide.’ And that was the only person then the person disappeared,” said Charlottetown police Sgt. Mike Quinn.

The school was contacted and officials decided to keep the school open and proceed with heightened security.

Quinn said police will remain at the school as the investigations continues.”

Charlottetown Guardian reports

From Guardian

“Classes are in session this morning at Charlottetown Rural despite a strong police presence investigating a possible threat reported to authorities Tuesday night.

A caller to Charlottetown City Police last night said he had stumbled across an on-line chat box on Face Book.

One of the people said there was going to be a shooting at the Rural today and that people should hide.

Police met with the caller and viewed the chat box contents.

Police then contacted school staff, and Eastern School District authorities, and met with them this morning. As a result, they have enacted a safe school protocol procedure in place today.

Police were at the school early today before students started to arrive. Police were at the main entrance to the school and are still there at mid-morning. Access was allowed only through the main entrance.

School principal Susan Willis made an announcement over the public address system before the start of classes and gave details to the students. Willis asked for the students’ co-operation and that any student with information on the threat to contact school authorities so the information could be passed on to police.

A school board official did say this morning that the threat was made by a “fictitious person.”

It appears that the threat made last night quickly spread and that some students didn’t attend school today. One parent said her daughter is in a class with 30 students, but only 10 were in that class this morning.

School officials have declined comment.”