Two North Delta schools were placed in a “hold and secure” this morning after reports of a student with a weapon.
According to a letter to parents by Seaquam Secondary principal Rick Mesich, at about 10:15 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 18 it was reported to the school that a student had a weapon. Delta police were then contacted and began an investigation.
Both Seaquam and nearby Cougar Canyon Elementary were placed in “hold and secure” at the request of police “in an abundance of caution,” Mesich wrote. Students who were outside were brought back into the school while staff and students secured their classrooms, as per Delta School District procedures.
In an email Wednesday afternoon, Delta police spokesperson Melissa Granum confirmed police had responded to reports of a student with a CO2 pistol and that both Seaquam and Cougar Canyon in order for police to properly assess the situation. As a result of the investigation police seized a C02 pistol from a residence and the hold and secure was lifted once investigators were satisfied that there were no risks to the student population.
Granum said the DPD is now working with the school district and the student’s family.
“Police would like to remind all families and students that replica weapons — including BB guns, Airsoft pistols and C02 pistols — should be handled with care and not brought to school,” Granum said in an email. “Replica pistols can easily be mistaken for a real weapon, creating a potentially dangerous situation. Parents should be aware of what replica pistols their children may have access to, and take this opportunity to speak with them about responsible handling.”
In his letter to parents, Mesich said both school and district administrative staff were in constant communication with the Delta Police Department and the situation was quickly resolved, with police giving the schools the all clear by 11 a.m.
“Our administrative staff and the Delta police take all reports that are of concern very seriously. The safety of our students, staff and our community are of paramount importance,” Mesich wrote. “At no time throughout the hold and secure were any of our students at risk.”
The Delta School District’s “hold and secure” emergency procedure is used whenever there is a security concern outside of school in the surrounding neighbourhood.
In a hold and secure, staff bring everyone into the school and keep them there, locking exterior doors and closing the blinds on all windows. No one is allowed to enter or exit the building, but classes and other regular activities continue inside the school.
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