A report of a suspicious person with a possible weapon near the grounds of Bayside Middle School on Thursday prompted a lockdown and police search that ended without incident several hours later.
Central Saanich Police Chief Les Sylven said officers searched the woods near the school and farther afield but were unable to find anyone matching a description provided by students.
Police were alerted by school administrators about 11:15 a.m.
“They had a few students who were playing outside [who] reported that they saw somebody in the bushes near the school who looked suspicious,” Sylven said.
“According to the students, the person had a mask on and was holding something shiny in their hand.”
Police responded immediately and sent officers into the Brentwood Bay school to secure the building and ensure the safety of staff and students. The school was placed inlockdown as a precautionary measure.
A police canine unit and the Greater Victoria Emergency Response Team were dispatched to assist with a search of the school’s perimeter.
The school, meanwhile, issued updates on its website throughout the day to let parents know that all students were safe in the building and being cared for by staff.
Sylven offered his own assurances that his officers are trained to deal with such incidents.
“With everything that’s going on in the world, we know how traumatic these kind of situations can be and very emotional,” he said.
“So we’ve had a lot of parents calling and a lot of parents showing up here at the police station.”
During the lockdown, dozens of people stood outside the school waiting for news. Students were unable to leave the school during the lockdown.
Josh Bickerton, whose child is in Grade 8, said students had posted on social media that someone saw a man in a mask with a gun.
“I’m thankful they’re taking it seriously,” said Jack Shandel, whose son is also in Grade 8.
“You see [gun-related incidents] on the news every day, unfortunately.
“This is proof it can happen anywhere.”
The lockdown was scaled back at about 3 p.m. to a hold-and-secure procedure.
All restrictions were lifted a short time later and students were released to their parents or allowed to board buses for home.
The B.C. government’s emergency planning guide for schools says a lockdown is designed to prevent intruders from entering occupied areas of a school or to isolate students and staff from a threat either outside or inside the building.
In a lockdown, students are restricted to a specific area of the school, such as a classroom, that is protected by locking the doors and covering the windows.
The hold and secure procedure is less restrictive and used in cases where an emergency situation is occuring outside the school. Exterior doors are locked and nobody is allowed to leave, but students and staff can move around within the school.
Saanich school district superintendent Dave Eberwein said he was pleased with how staff and students handled the stressful situation.
“We moved through a process that we practise all the time in our schools and I’m very happy with the way it rolled out,” he said.
“Even though I know it creates anxiety and uncertainty, the process allowed all our kids to be safe at all times.”
— With files from Katie DeRosa
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