Halifax high school lockdown triggered by swatting call from outside Canada

HALIFAX · Halifax Regional Police say a threatening call that prompted a lockdown at a city high school was a swatting hoax that originated outside Canada. The call came into Halifax West High School around 12:30 p.m. on Thursday from a man who claimed to be on school property with a weapon. The school went into an immediate lockdown, which lasted for more than three hours while police searched the building. Investigators, with assistance from law enforcement agencies in Florida, later determined the call was not valid and had been made from outside the country.

"School administrators reported receiving a call from a man who said he was on school property with a weapon," police said in an updated release. The call prompted a significant police response and a full lockdown of the school during the lunch hour. Many students and staff were outside the building at the time and were directed to a safe gathering point, while those inside remained under lockdown protocols. Police searched the building thoroughly and found no evidence to support the threat, leading them to lift the lockdown at 3:45 p.m. "We understand that a situation like this is very concerning," Lindsey Bunin, communications officer for Halifax Regional Centre for Education, said in an email. "We want to assure families that we are taking every precaution to protect students and staff and are following the direction of police." Bunin, also speaking to Global News, added that the safety of students and staff is the top priority and that the district works to minimize disruption to learning while following police direction.

Police described the incident as "swatting," which occurs when someone makes a false report to police to divert resources and occupy emergency responders. "Swatting involves making a false report to police with the intent of prompting a significant police response," police said. "Police say false reports like this tie up emergency responders and divert them away from others who may need help." The investigation is ongoing and no charges have been laid, according to Const. John Cromwell of the Halifax Regional Police. Grade 12 student Dylan Bugdal said he had left for lunch and returned to find police cars surrounding the school. "There's police cars everywhere and people are coming up to me like 'You can't go back to the school, they're all in lockdown, there's a threat in the school,'" he said. "(There were) lots of rumours of whatever it is." Bugdal said he could not recall a similar event in his three years at the school and found the situation "spooked."

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Police said that while they do not believe there is an ongoing threat to the school, officers will continue to have a presence there to offer reassurance to students, staff and families. The investigation into the source of the call continues, with police examining all available leads. "In any investigation, we look at all leads and investigate any and all leads that are available," Cromwell said. "That could include tracking a number. Any leads that we have are going to be investigated."

In a separate incident on Thursday morning in nearby Lower Sackville, two schools were placed under a hold and secure after a report that a man had chased a student with a knife. Leslie Thomas Junior High and Sackville High School were secured while RCMP attempted to locate the man. Following an investigation, RCMP determined a man did not chase any students and lifted the hold and secure around 12:45 p.m. Efforts to locate the man continue and that investigation is also ongoing.

With files from The Canadian Press, CityNews and Global News