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Applewood Heights Secondary School in Mississauga in Ontario, Canada, has been placed under lockdown after police were given reports of a party possibly armed with a weapon in the area; another school in the area, identified as St. Thomas Moore, is also currently under hold and secure, according to police, possibly due to the same reports of a weapon in the area, although this is unconfirmed. At this time, it is believed that officers are investigating at the school.
What happened?
Peel Regional Police issued the following statement on Twitter:
“#PRP at Applewood Heights School investigating reports of a party possibly armed with a weapon. Applewood Heights in Lockdown. St Thomas Moore School hold and secure. Updates to follow. Call came in at 1:41pm”
CTV Toronto also confirmed the reports on their own Twitter account:
“Peel Regional Police say they are investigating reports of a party armed with a weapon near Applewood Heights School in Mississauga. The school is in lockdown.”
The lockdown was quickly lifted
According to Mississauga, the lockdown lasted about 45 minutes before it was ultimately lifted; it was also confirmed that Peel police spokesperson Const. Iryna Yashnyk claimed the reported was “unfounded” in a press release, adding that any party with a weapon was not found at the school. Reportedly, the lockdown went into effect at 1:45 P.M. and was lifted at 2:30 P.M.
The hold and secure order for St. Thomas Moore was also confirmed to have been lifted by the same website. According to the Toronto District School Board, while both lockdown orders and hold and secure orders are similar, with both locking off the school from the outside, the hold and secure order usually expects school activity to proceed as usual, whereas precautions are taken to shelter students during a lockdown.
Peel Regional Police also issued the following statement on Twitter:
“Incident at Applewood Heights School was unfounded. No party with weapon. Applewood Heights School and St. Thomas Moore School no longer in Lockdown and Hold & Secure.”
