COURTENAY -- A youth has been arrested after a weapons threat forced a school in Courtenay to close Thursday.

Lake Trail Community Middle School was closed to all students and staff while police investigated the threat.

"We had a targeted and very direct and specific threat towards this school and this school only and so we made, out an abundance of caution, (a decision) to cease operations," said Mary Lee, manager of communications for the school district, on Thursday.

The Comox Valley RCMP said Friday police are considering charges against a youth for uttering threats.

“Reports of this nature are always treated as serious and authentic until we conduct a thorough investigation to confirm the credibility of the report,” said Const. Monika Terragni in a statement Friday.

Anyone with additional information is asked to call the Comox Valley RCMP at 250-338-1321.

In total, 350 students, 25 remote learners and 55 staff were affected by the closure.

"If there's ever a threat to the safety of our staff and our students, we always exercise caution and the best decision today was to cease operations," said Lee Thursday.

The school is located at 805 Willemar Ave. in Courtenay.