Attack on Toronto high school thwarted, 17-year-old under arrest: police

TORONTO (NEWS1130) – Toronto police say they’ve seized a frightening arsenal of weapons from the home of a teen who was allegedly threatening an attack at Oakwood Collegiate Institute on the anniversary of the Montreal Massacre.

Police say they became aware of a threat towards the school at 991 St. Clair Ave. W. last Thursday.

A 17-year-old male suspect was identified and a search warrant was executed at his home early Tuesday. Police say they seized a machete, a hatchet, two swords, four knives and arrows.

“Some sort of attack was to take place on Tuesday, December 6, 2016, the 27th anniversary of the massacre at Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal,” police said in a release.

The teen, who can’t be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, appeared in court on Tuesday. He’s been charged with uttering threats of bodily harm and uttering threats of death.

He was released on bail under strict conditions and is being monitored by police.

A source says the teen was taken to hospital upon release. It’s not clear if he’s still in hospital or staying with family.

Police became aware of the threat through an American internet service provider. According to police, a blog post was updated from a Toronto District School Board server. Someone on the U.S. west coast noticed the threat and called authorities.

The FBI was alerted and that led to the teen’s arrest.

Detective Len Nicholson said the blog post made mention of the Montreal Massacre, but wouldn’t elaborate.

“I do believe this was a serious threat,” Nicholson said on Wednesday night. “In the thread he makes reference to the massacre in Montreal, that made our urgency even greater. We were concerned that he would act on that date.”

Despite the chilling reference to the Montreal Massacre, Nicholson said the threats did not target a specific gender and a motive is still unclear.

He added that the suspect was not cooperative and said he believed the teen acted alone, although the investigation is ongoing.

“He got a lawyer and he wouldn’t speak to us,” he said.

Toronto District School Board (TDSB) spokesperson Ryan Bird said Toronto police informed the school of the threat on Monday after school hours.

“Early Tuesday morning, well before school had started, we were then informed by police that a person had indeed been apprehended. With that in mind no additional precautions were required at the school,” he said.

Bird couldn’t say if the suspect was a student at Oakwood, but confirmed that he’s a TDSB student.

“A letter has gone home gone home with students to parents this afternoon to inform them, as well an announcement was made at school this afternoon so students were kept up to date on the situation,” he said.