Student charged after BB gun seized at Steinbach school

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This article was published 02/05/2022 (1263 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A 17-year-old Steinbach student accused of taking a BB-firing replica handgun and bear spray to school Monday is facing weapons charges.

Steinbach Regional Secondary School staff called RCMP at about 9:40 a.m. after they were told a student was armed.

The youth allegedly used the pepper spray away from school premises in front of other students but no one was hurt, police said, adding both the BB gun and spray were seized.

“The incident was handled immediately and with professionalism by SRSS Staff and attending RCMP officers,” an emailed letter to parents from Hanover School Division superintendent Shelly Amos said.

The boy is charged with carrying a concealed weapon and two counts of possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, RCMP said. He can’t be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

School staff had an “immediate and appropriate response to the incident,” police said.

There is a zero-tolerance policy for weapons of any kind in any Hanover school, Amos said.

“The safety of our students and staff is of utmost importance, and we are thankful for the assistance of the RCMP in ensuring our schools are safe for all,” the letter read.

No other Steinbach schools locked down during the incident, RCMP spokeswoman Tara Seel said. 

The Hanover School Division did not respond to requests for comment by phone and email.

 

— Staff