More charges against boy from Rivers accused of planning school shooting

RCMP have laid further charges against a 14-year-old boy who’s accused of planning a school shooting at Rivers Collegiate in rural western Manitoba.

Blue Hills RCMP were first alerted in March to an online conversation between the 14-year-old and a 15-year-old from Nova Scotia in which the Manitoban boy was discussing and planning to harm students at his school in Rivers.

Both were arrested on March 16 and the 14-year-old was charged with uttering threats that day.

RCMP have since analyzed the boy’s phone and electronic devices and executed two warrants at properties the boy lived at, where they seized additional electronics and two guns owned by a relative, Mounties said on Thursday.

Crown prosecutors have since authorized additional charges against the teenager. He was re-arrested at the Manitoba Youth Centre in Winnipeg on Wednesday and charged with conspiracy to commit murder, counselling the offence of murder and two more counts of uttering threats.

The boy is next due in court on June 4.