Halifax teen charged for allegedly threatening to bring weapons to school; firearms seized

A 16-year-old is facing charges after police found weapons during a home search.

A 16-year-old boy has been charged after he allegedly threatened to bring weapons to a Halifax high school and police found firearms inside his home.

Halifax Regional Police said the alleged threats involved Citadel High School.

“We believe at this time that the threats were more directed to the school in general, not specifically to any one person,” said Halifax Regional Police Chief Don MacLean during a news conference Thursday afternoon.

“It was credible, our response was immediate, and our investigation took place right away.”

Police arrested the teen without incident at his Halifax home around 3 a.m. Wednesday.

Police also said they seized “a number of weapons,” including firearms and ammunition, from the home.

Investigators don’t believe there is an ongoing threat to the school and don’t believe anyone else was involved in the alleged incident.

The boy, whose identity is protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, has been charged with the following offences:

• possession of a prohibited weapon
• possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose
• unsafe storage of ammunition
• uttering threats

MacLean said the teen was held in custody overnight and appeared in Youth Justice Court Thursday morning.

MacLean wouldn’t say whether the boy is a student at Citadel High School. Police are cautioning the public that identifying the teen could lead to charges.

“While it is natural to react to these types of events with fear, I do urge people to also react with compassion,” said MacLean. “Youth who consider violence as their last resort have been facing their own struggles and can be difficult to understand.”

Police presence at Citadel High School

Citadel High School remained open Thursday but Halifax police officers were on site to support students and staff.

“I know this is alarming and I’m here today to provide reassurance that our officers have been working around the clock to ensure students can go to school feeling safe,” said MacLean.

“I don’t want to speculate what could have happened, but bringing weapons to any school is never a good idea.”

Lindsey Bunin, a communications officer with the Halifax Regional Centre for Education, said police contacted Citadel High School on Wednesday about a potential threat directed at the school.

“Police say they do not believe there is an ongoing threat to safety. Officers are on site at the school today as a precaution. School counsellors are available to students who wish to connect at any time,” said Bunin in an email to CTV News.

“As always, the safety of students and staff is HRCE’s top priority. All potential threats are taken seriously and addressed by administration in accordance with the Provincial School Code of Conduct, and by police.”

However, the president of the Nova Scotia Teachers Union feels police haven’t shared enough information about the alleged threat. Peter Day said the NSTU would like to know more.

“There are violent instances occurring every day in our schools and not all of them are reported on, like this one we’re currently talking about,” said Day.

“The staff should be made aware of more of the particulars that relate to this.”

Meanwhile, police said it’s early in the investigation, and more details may come out through the court process.

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