Online threat forces closure of North End high school Monday

A North End high school was closed Monday morning after a threat was posted online.

St. John’s High School, located on Church Avenue, was closed “out of an abundance of caution,” said Matt Henderson, superintendent of the Winnipeg School Division.

The Winnipeg Police Service major crimes unit is investigating the threat, Henderson said.

Henderson initially said he was hopeful the school could reopen Monday afternoon, but later said students wouldn’t return for half a day.

He said he is “confident” the school will be open Tuesday, but that the decision will only be made after a full conversation with police.

WPS declined to comment Monday.

The school’s website announcing the closure Monday morning, stating it was closed due to “threat in the neighbourhood.”

Henderson confirmed the threat was directed at the school, not at the community.

A mother of a student who attends the grades 7-12 school said her child saw screenshots on social media showing the threats of violence.

The mother, who requested anonymity for safety reasons, said she is concerned about sending her child back to school without more security.

Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter

Biidaajimowin | News from the Centre

Wednesdays

Sent weekly from the heart of Turtle Island, an exploration of Indigenous voices, perspectives and experiences.

Sign up for Biidaajimowin | News from the Centre

Sign Up

I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

The closure marks the second time this month a city school was the subject of a threat of violence.

Last week, students and staff at Bernie Wolfe School were evacuated following a threatening call. The River East Transcona School Division relocated the students to a designated evacuation site and cancelled classes for the day.

Officials at the kindergarten-to-Grade 8 school called the police immediately after learning about the threat and activated the school’s emergency plan.

In December, the government said it would require school divisions to review and update emergency preparedness plans, including controlled access measures, and report back by the end of the year. The province also directed $500,000 towards school safety training.

Marsha.McLeod@freepress.mb.ca

Marsha McLeod
Investigative reporter Signal

Marsha is an investigative reporter. She joined the Free Press in 2023.

   Read full biography