All clear given in London, St. Thomas following bomb threats against schools
Multiple schools in London were closed Tuesday after what St. Thomas police and London police describe as a bomb threat.
According to the London Police Service (LPS), they were notified around 2 a.m. that a threat was received via email, referencing a school in the west end of the city.
Officers attended the high school school in the 1300-block of Oxford Street West, and conducted a preliminary check of the building. In a statement late Monday morning, London police say that a "thorough search" of the interior and exterior of the building had been completed by the LPS Canine Unit, and nothing suspicious was located.
St. Joseph's High School in St. Thomas, Ont., on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022. (Sean Irvine/CTV News London)
Meanwhile, police in St. Thomas also gave the all clear mid-Tuesday afternoon following a search of the premises at St. Joseph's High School and Fanshawe College-St. Thomas Campus.
The St. Thomas Police Service say in a statement that a search conducted by St. Thomas police and the LPS Canine Unit yielded nothing suspicious.
On Tuesday morning, London police were seen blocking entrances to St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School and St. Thomas police were seen at St. Joseph's High School located at 100 Bill Martyn Pkwy.
According to St. Thomas police, "... with assistance from the London Police Service Explosives Disposal Unit will be searching the building for an explosive device after a bomb threat was received at the London District Catholic School Board... An email threatening both St. Thomas Aquinas School in London and St. Joseph's High School in St. Thomas was received early this morning."
London police at St. Thomas Aquinas on Sept. 13, 2022. (Sean Irvine/CTV News London)
A statement from the London District Catholic School Board reads, "Due to a security threat received in early this morning, local police have advised that St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School, London and St. Joseph’s Catholic High School, St. Thomas are closed to all students and staff on Tuesday, September 13, 2022. Buses for the two schools have been canceled. Teachers and staff will reach out to students through the Virtual Learning Environment where appropriate and possible. Please know the LDCSB takes any threat very seriously and we involved the police immediately. Safety is of paramount importance to everyone at the London District Catholic School Board. We ask the community refrain from speculation or circulating rumors, especially those that may appear online. Additional information will be provided as appropriate."
A police officer and bomb sniffing dog are seen outside St. Josephs High School in St. Thomas, Ont. on September 13, 2022 after multiple London-area schools received bomb threats. (Sean Irvine/CTV News London)
Matthews Hall posted on social media that it will be closed “due to a security threat at STA [St. Thomas Aquinas] next door.”
Fanshawe College-St. Thomas Campus was also closed Tuesday for in-person learning due to "police activity," and students are asked to check FOL where instructors will be updating information.
Police in London and St. Thomas continue to investigate the source of the threat.
London police say more information will be released to the public when available.
This is a developing story.
— With files from CTV News London's Sean Irvine
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Another suspect arrested in Toronto Pearson airport gold heist: police
Another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year, police say.
Poilievre-led government 'would never' use notwithstanding clause on abortion, his office says
A Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre would not legislate on, nor use the notwithstanding clause, on abortion, his office says, as anti-abortion protesters gather on Parliament Hill.
Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
Miss Teen USA steps down just days after Miss USA's resignation
Miss Teen USA resigned Wednesday, sending further shock waves through the pageant community just days after Miss USA said she would relinquish her crown.
Cyclist strikes child crossing the street to catch school bus in Montreal
A video circulating on social media of a young girl being hit by a bike has some calling for better safety and more caution when designing bike lanes in the city. The video shows a four-year-old girl crossing Jeanne-Mance Street in Montreal's Plateau neighbourhood to get on a school bus stopped on the opposite side of the street
BREAKING 6 injured in Sharbot Lake, Ont. crash; 2 in life-threatening condition
Ontario Provincial Police say six people have suffered severe injuries in a single-vehicle crash in Sharbot Lake, Ont, including two in life-threatening condition.