Kitimat RCMP will have officers at Mount Elizabeth Middle Secondary School following a message posted on Facebook regarding a potential shooting on Monday, May 13.
Coast Mountain School District superintendent Katherine McIntosh posted a statement on CMSD’s website on Sunday, May 12, regarding a message posted on Facebook about a potential shooting at MEMSS, and Skeena Middle School in Terrace.
“Kitimat and Terrace RCMP, Safer Schools Together — the school district’s provincial student safety experts — school district personnel and school administration are continuing their investigation,” reads the statement. “The RCMP and Safer Schools Together have determined this is a low-level risk event.”
The message was first posted to the Terrace Buy & Sell page on Facebook at 3 p.m. on Sunday.
“We have been aware that the messages have been posted from both the Terrace and Kitimat communities,” continues McIntosh.
Terrace RCMP will also be stationed at Skeena Middle School.
“The safety and well-being of all our students and staff is paramount and events of this nature are taken very seriously.”
McIntosh says in the statement that CMSD and Safer Schools Together have requested that the RCMP pursue prosecution “to the fullest extent of the law regarding this event.”
Sunday’s threat follows on from two related incidents at Terrace’s Skeena Middle School on May 7 and May 10.
A message written on a mirror in one of the washrooms prompted the school and CMSD to contact the RCMP and Safer Schools Together.
While this threat was also classified low-risk, RCMP members were nevertheless posted at Skeena Middle School on May 8, 9 and 10.
On Thursday, May 10, another message was received via social media, which again was determined to be low-risk.
McIntosh said school staff and parents were kept informed throughout the week and counsellors were available on May 10 for students who needed someone to talk to.
“The school district will be conducting its own investigation into these incidents. The school district has activated its multi-disciplinary Violence Threat Risk Assessment (VTRA) process. This involves the RCMP and other community partners,” said McIntosh.
“The school district takes every precaution to ensure the safety of its all students and staff. The safety and well-being of all our students and staff is paramount and events of this nature are taken very seriously.”
