Nova Scotia school reopening and reviewing safety protocols
A high school in Nova Scotia has reopened and is reviewing safety protocols after two staff members and a student, who is also the suspect, were injured in a stabbing incident in Bedford on Monday.
Police were called to Charles P. Allen High School around 9:20 in the morning.
When they arrived, they found three people who had been stabbed and took a student into custody.
Lindsey Bunin is a communications officer for the Halifax Regional Centre for Education and confirmed to CTV News Atlantic the student taken into custody was among the three people injured.
All three were taken to hospital, but the extent of their injuries was not disclosed.
Bunin says the suspect was in the school’s office at the time because staff had identified a concern with the individual.
"It was all very quick and very immediate, so as soon as it was realized there was a violent incident taking place, there was an announcement made, which is 'hold-and-secure,' which means the students are to stay in place in their classrooms," says Bunin.
The student left the school, but police arrived quickly enough to detain them.
The incident has rattled the community. “We look out, a ton of cop cars,” one student told the local media outlet. “It’s wild to think about that this could have been one of us or something else."
Another student said they saw a video circulating online showing the suspect surrendering to police.
Some parents were also frustrated by a lack of communication.
"I just got a phone call from my daughter saying that they were on lockdown, and they still needed to be picked up," claimed parent Jessica Young. "And that they still haven't been dismissed but here was a stabbing and there was a lot of blood."
The school is making psychologists, social workers, and counsellors available to student over the coming days.
Nova Scotia Education Minister, Becky Druhan, released a statement about the “very troubling” incident.
"My heart goes out to the school community, those physically injured, as well as those who experienced this unfortunate event at school,” says Druhan.
"The staff and students at the school should be recognized for their quick actions. They followed their emergency management training (hold-and-secure), ensuring that no one else was injured or more seriously harmed. Thank you, as well, to the many families who remained patient as our team and local police responded."
Druhan says they’ll be evaluating the safety protocols at the school to ensure they worked as intended and consider next steps.
Violence in schools is becoming more prevalent across Canada, and recently Manitoba added schools to its lit of high risk industries.
