Police called to Shaughnessy Park School grad ceremony for ‘fight call’

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This article was published 27/06/2023 (869 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Police responded to a “fight call” at a Grade 8 farewell ceremony in Shaughnessy Heights last week, as convocation season got underway across the province.

A brawl broke out June 23, between a group of students and parents at Shaughnessy Park School, following a community celebration of graduates from the nursery-to-Grade 8 building on Manitoba Avenue.

A spokesman for the Winnipeg Police Service confirmed Tuesday officers were dispatched to the school site to respond to a conflict around 12:30 p.m.

“WPS members were only provided with basic initial information, advising that two female parents and three students had engaged in a physical confrontation,” Const. Jason Michalyshen said in an email, in which he referred to the report as “a fight call for service.”

Upon their arrival, emergency responders searched the area and attempted to contact the complainant, but they were unsuccessful in doing so, Michalyshen added.

A photographer who attended the event told the Free Press guests were asked to lock the doors of the various school rooms they were in due to an incident and wait until further notice, per administration’s orders.

“We found out that we are locked down. We could not leave. We were waiting for the announcement that it’s OK,” he said, adding the security measure — which resulted in him being late to another photo shoot — lasted about 15 minutes.

The school sent a notice to families to inform them of a vague event.

The reason the fight broke out in the first place remained unclear to many outside the school at pick-up time Tuesday. A group of elementary schoolers reported seeing a clump of hair on the floor after the incident.

Radean Carter of the Winnipeg School Division said there was “an altercation” after the graduation event and when the conflict appeared to be resolved, all visitors left the grounds.

The communications manager did not provide any further information.

No charges have been laid in connection to the incident.

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @macintoshmaggie