NEWS RELEASE
ONTARIO PROVINCIAL POLICE
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TOWN OF NEW TECUMSETH - On Thursday, Apr. 20, 2017, the Nottawasaga Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) received indication of a violent act that may take place at a St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School.
Since there is a St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School in our area, officers attended on scene prior to the school opening and redirected arriving students to an alternate location.
Following a thorough search of the school and an investigation by the Nottawasaga OPP Crime Unit, students were able to return to the school shortly after.
Investigation revealed that the text message originated from the Brampton area and that there was no information directed specifically to St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School in Tottenham, but the search was conducted for the safety of the students, which was our priority.
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11:54 p.m. update:
SMCDSB says the hold and secure at Father F.X. O'Reilly has been lifted
Original story:
The Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board says it has closed St. Thomas Aquinas Secondary School this morning due to an unspecified threat.
Students and staff remain safe, says the board, but buses have been re-routed to alternative locations.
Father F.X. O'Reilly school has been placed in a hold and secure due to its proximity to the threat, says the board.
