Manitoba, Nova Scotia teens accused in plot to simultaneously attack two schools By: Skye Anderson Posted: 2:13 PM CDT Wednesday, Mar. 18, 2026 Last Modified: 7:17 PM CDT Wednesday, Mar. 18, 2026 Updates

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Police have arrested a boy from Manitoba and a girl from Nova Scotia who allegedly planned a co-ordinated attack at two schools in their respective provinces.

Blue Hills RCMP in Manitoba confirmed Wednesday that officers arrested a 14-year-old boy Monday that they say was planning to harm students at Rivers Collegiate, about 40 kilometres northwest of Brandon.

“It is very concerning that these kinds of threats do happen in the province,” said RCMP spokeswoman Cpl. Melanie Roussel.

“We take these threats very seriously and we act on them quickly. We work with the school divisions and with the schools. Our job is to ensure the students are safe, and we do everything to make sure they are safe.”

Officers stopped a school bus near Provincial Road 250 and arrested the youth, who was unarmed. His phone and electronic devices were seized.

Officers searched two other properties linked to the boy and seized other electronic devices and other items, including two firearms owned by a relative, RCMP said.

RCMP said the boy has been charged with uttering threats. Additional charges are possible.

In a news release, RCMP Supt. Lee Fortin said officers took “immediate steps” to find and arrest the suspect.

“The priority from the outset was the safety and security of the students at Rivers Collegiate,” he said.

Last Friday, Interpol and the FBI alerted Manitoba RCMP and the Bridgewater Police Service in Nova Scotia about a “concerning online conversation” between a youth in that province and one in Manitoba, BPS said.

The conversation began in late February.

“An investigation immediately began to identify and locate the 14-year-old who engaged in these conversations and to bring him safely into custody prior to the start of the school week,” RCMP said.

Rivers Collegiate has about 140 students from grades 7 to 12, the school’s website says.

“The priority from the outset was the safety and security of the students at Rivers Collegiate.”

A woman whose daughter attended school with the Rivers youth said it’s “earth shattering” to hear that someone she watched grow up could be arrested for such an alleged act.

“As far as how we are feeling as a community, completely shattered and disassembled,” said the woman, who agreed to speak on condition of anonymity. “As a small community, we are always looking out for each other and watching everyone’s kids grow up beside ours.”

She emphasized the importance of parents staying vigilant about their children’s phone and social media use, along with having open discussions with them.

Police in Nova Scotia charged a 15-year-old girl Tuesday with conspiracy to commit murder and uttering threats for an alleged plot to attack Parkview Education Centre, a secondary school in Bridgewater

Detailed handwritten plans, imitation weapons, a roughly made imitation pipe bomb, an assault rifle, and clothing bearing hate symbols were found during a search of her home, police said.

Police say they are investigating whether additional charges relating to hate crimes and other offences can be laid.

BPS said investigators believe the two youths had been planning “simultaneous attacks” at the two schools.

Bridgewater deputy police chief Danny MacPhee said international police agencies provided information that an attack was not imminent.

Police say there’s no indication the alleged plan was spurred by the mass shooting at a school in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., on Feb. 10.

MacPhee said investigators located some personal property of the accused in Bridgewater that contained names of several North American mass attackers and the crimes they had committed.

“While the attack was not believed to be imminent, it was clear that they had committed some thought and planning to the idea.”

Rolling River School Division Supt. Jason Cline said the RCMP informed the western Manitoba division Monday morning that a student had been arrested for allegedly making online threats.

Officers went to the high school to gather more information after the arrest.

“The Rolling River School Division focus is on the safety and well-being of the students and staff,” Cline said in a statement.

“The division continues to work with the RCMP to ensure schools are safe now and in the future. Rivers Collegiate is working with the division administration and clinical services to ensure supports are in place for both students and staff.”

Heather Lamb, the mayor of Riverdale Municipality, which includes Rivers, said residents were shocked and “deeply concerned” after learning about the arrest.

“Our thoughts are with everyone who may be feeling anxious or uncertain, including students, families, educators, and staff,” she said.

Lamb said resources are available through schools, community services and provincial mental‑health supports if anyone feels overwhelmed. She encouraged families to check on their children.

“Please look out for one another, speak with kindness and remember that our strength as a community lies in how we come together during difficult moments,” she said.

Police in Manitoba have dealt with several threats that involved students or were directed toward schools recently, leading to a few arrests and some schools closing and cancelling classes as a precaution.

Fortin said police have seen an increase in threats. He urged people to report anything suspicious or concerning to police.

School safety has been under increased scrutiny in Canada since eight people — including six victims shot at a secondary school — were killed and dozens injured in Tumbler Ridge.

Last month, the Winnipeg Police Service said officers investigated 11 threats against city schools in a 16-day span, with none deemed credible.

Three people — two Winnipeg teens and a 30-year-old Toronto woman — were charged with uttering threats. A 10-year-old boy was referred to an alternative justice program.

“There have been no further arrests in relation to those investigations,” WPS spokesperson Const. Claude Chancy said Wednesday. “It appears that the public awareness (press release) served its purpose in educating the community regarding the dangers and consequences related to threats towards schools, faculty, and student bodies. No other like incidents have been reported since.

In October, RCMP charged a 15-year-old boy who allegedly pointed an airsoft gun at a student at a school in Ebb and Flow First Nation.

— Brandon Sun, with files from Chris Kitching and The Canadian Press