Nanaimo RCMP have charged a man after he made multiple fake 9-1-1 calls last week reporting a fake shooting at two different schools.
34-year-old Aaron Edward Craig was arrested on Thursday, October 21st after making multiple calls to authorities reporting fictitious shootings at a Nanaimo high school and elementary school.
On Thursday afternoon, Craig stated to RCMP officers that shots were being fired at a local school resulting in multiple casualties.
He did not provide the specifics of the school but told officers where the alleged shots were coming from
Police notified the two schools in the area—Fairview Elementary and Nanaimo and District Secondary School (NDSS)—of the alleged threat.
NDSS was immediately placed in a lock-down. Staff at Fairview advised police that students were dismissed early and there were no concerns at their location.
Once officers suspected the calls were a hoax, they pivoted their investigation to find the source of the fake calls.
At approximately 2 p.m. that same afternoon, officers located Craig in his vehicle, parked along Howard Avenue, where he was promptly arrested.
The lockdown at NDSS was lifted once Craig was arrested.
Craig was held in custody and appeared in the Nanaimo Provincial Court the next day.
He has been formally charged with Public Mischief, Breach of a Court order and Breach of Probation.
