Online threat leads to closure of North End high school

St. John’s High School was closed Monday morning “out of an abundance of caution” after an online threat was made towards the school, said Winnipeg School Division Superintendent Matt Henderson.

Henderson said the Winnipeg Police Service’s Major Crimes Unit is currently investigating the threat, adding that when a threat is made online it is often a “very quick process” for the police.

He said he is hopeful that the school can reopen later on Monday, but added they will only make that determination once the division has communicated further with the police department.

An advisory was posted to the school’s website Monday morning, announcing the closure, and saying that the school was closed due to “threat in the neighbourhood.” Henderson confirmed that the threat was directed at the school, not at the wider neighbourhood.

The school, which is located off Salter Street north of Mountain Avenue in the North End, runs from Grades 7-12.

One mother of a student who attends St. John’s, who requested anonymity for security reasons, said her child saw screenshots on social media showing the threats of violence.

The mother said she would be concerned to send her child back to school without more security protections within the school.