Girl taken into custody after Winnipeg high school targeted by threat for 2nd consecutive day

A girl has been taken into custody after a threat posted to social media forced Elmwood High School to be locked down Tuesday morning — the second time in as many days the school was threatened.

The girl, who police say is a youth, was turned over to the major crimes unit but no charges have yet been laid, a Tuesday afternoon news release said.

Police do not believe there is any threat to safety at the school, the release said.

The anonymous social media message that prompted the closure was posted Monday night by someone who claimed they intended to enter the school with weapons at the noon hour on Tuesday. 

"Police were called right away. They've been investigating all evening," Winnipeg School Division superintendent Matt Henderson told CBC News Tuesday morning, calling the threat "sinister" and "upsetting."

Classes were cancelled in the morning before any students arrived. They resumed in the afternoon.

The closure also impacted the Munroe Early Childhood Education Centre, which operates out of the school.

Henderson said the closure was considered more of a lockdown, and was lifted once police gave the all-clear.

"If this happened during the day, we would lock down a school … but there just doesn't happen to be children in it," he said.

The school, in the city's Elmwood neighbourhood, was also closed Monday after an emailed threat was sent Sunday night.

Oak Park High School, in the Charleswood neighbourhood, received a similar threat on Sunday and was also closed.

Both schools were reopened around noon Monday, but only for staff, after police searches turned up nothing and deemed the buildings safe for reentry.

Winnipeg police said Tuesday their major crimes unit, with the assistance of other law enforcement agencies, determined that the threats that prompted Monday's closures "were sent as a malicious hoax to incite public panic."

Nobody has been arrested in those cases, but investigations are continuing, police said.

Henderson said Tuesday having a second consecutive threat at Elmwood was frustrating.

"Many people in our community are upset about this — families, parents — because enough is enough. The schools, in particular Elmwood, are so important to the community, and we have people engaging in this type of activity that is harmful.

"It's destructive and it needs to stop."

Oak Park was not targeted by another threat on Tuesday. Its classes went ahead as usual.