Friday, June 6, 2008

Lockdown Ends After Gun Spotted On CampusWatch

Lockdown Ends After Gun Spotted On Campus

Friday June 6, 2008

Reports of a gun sent George S Henry Academy into lockdown Friday morning, but it has now been lifted.

Just weeks after police shut down the North York school for a false alarm, the real thing drew cops to campus.

A 17-year-old male student was allegedly found beaten and bleeding from the head inside the school. His injuries indicate that he may have been pistol-whipped.

"The incident took place prior to the school opening; there's a fair number [of students] in the school," cautioned PC Wendy Drummond of Toronto Police.

Initial reports indicated that the victim was found in the washroom, but police aren't sure if that's the case.

"Finding exactly where things took place is still to be determined after speaking with different witnesses and the victim," explained Drummond. "The exact location of the crime scene is still underway."

Police say other students witnessed the attack, and were able to give a good description of the assailant and his weapon of choice. The victim was taken to hospital with serious but not life-threatening injuries.

Heavily armed Emergency Task Force (ETF) officers searched the school classroom by classroom for the suspect and the gun. No shots were reported fired.

"Our utmost concern [is] the staff and students," Drummond makes clear. "As those rooms are cleared, the students [were] taken a separate lodging area, again which [were] guarded by officers."

According to PC Tony Vella of Toronto Police, neither the suspect nor the gun has been found. The suspect is also believed to be 17. He's considered armed and dangerous.

"We are speaking to the witnesses, trying to determine exactly what happened. In this type of situation, it can take hours to find out exactly what occurred," PC Vella outlined.

Students that were inside the school at the time of the lockdown were herded to the cafeteria. Those that were not yet on campus were told to go to 135 Fenelon Drive.

That's also where concerned parents headed.

"This is the second time it's happened. Really I am worried about if this continues again and again," exclaimed parent Saidul Khan.

It's yet another scare for families reeling from the nightmare of a gun sighting a short time ago.

In April, a student claimed she had seen a gun on campus. It turned out she allegedly wanted out of a test. The youth has since been charged.

What Happens During A School Lockdown?

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