Concerning graffiti written on the walls at Colwood Elementary school prompted the SD62 Superintendent Jim Cambridge to send a message to parents and the West Shore RCMP to attend the school to investigate.
The nature of the graffiti was concerning and led to a significant police response. West Shore RCMP and School District 62 were working together to ensure the safety of the students and staff.
While unconfirmed, some parents are telling Victoria Buzz the graffiti said: “school shooting today”. The school is not in lockdown, but police will be on scene for the entire day.
Police say they were able to identify and arrest the author of the graffiti.
Although there is no risk to public safety, this incident remains under investigation, states Cst. Alex BERUBE, spokesperson of the West Shore RCMP. The safety of students and staff will always remain our priority.
SD62 Superintendent Jim Cambridge to send the following message to parents:
“This morning as staff and students arrived to school, they noticed some concerning messages and graffiti written on the outside of the school. We notified the RCMP immediately and have been working closely with them.
As an extra precaution, students will remain inside the school during recess and lunch times. Generally, in the field of school-based child and adolescent threat assessment, the lack of ownership (authorship) of the threat generally denotes a lack of commitment. We will continue to take direction from the RCMP and update you if new information becomes available.
Despite the low risk, through an abundance of caution we have taken the following actions:
-RCMP will be present in/around the school for the entire day
– Additional District staff are present in the school
– Our staff will be cooperating with the RCMP throughout the day and are endeavouring to gather evidence that can help find person(s) responsible
We recognize that concerning messages and graffiti on schools can be very distressing to parents and we fully support and recognize that some parents may wish to have their children at home today.
The safety of our children is paramount to all members of our community. Thank you for your continued support and diligence in keeping our students safe. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the school at 250-478-2332.“
