'It feels like a ghost town': Police presence at CCH after alleged threats made in graffiti
There was a police presence at Catholic Central Secondary School (CCH) in downtown London, Ont. Friday after an alleged threat was discovered on a bathroom wall.
Students described the school atmosphere as “eerie,” including grade 12 students Maddy Trottier and Camila Tsun-Rubio.
“It feels like a ghost town, like there’s almost no-one there, you kind of just feel like...I don’t know, it feels strange,” explained Tsun-Rubio.
“Yes, very creepy,” added Trottier.
Police were brought in after graffiti was discovered in a washroom Tuesday and Wednesday, indicating an alleged threat to students and staff that was to take place on Friday. London Police Service Const. Sandasha Bough told CTV News London officers were stationed at CCH for the entire school day.
“The threat was made by way of property damage, and we can say that there has been an increased police presence in and around the school throughout the day,” said Bough.
Students appeared to be taking the threat as seriously as anyone.
“Kind of an attitude of a semi-lockdown,” said grade 12 student James Bell. “You know, we’re not allowed to go to the bathroom, we’re stuck in class,” he added.
“I think you always have to take it a bit seriously, even if it’s, you know, not likely,” said grade 13 student Brandon Wood.
A security guard is seen letting students inside an entrance at Catholic Central Secondary School in London, Ont. on Nov. 25, 2022. (Bryan Bicknell/CTV News London)
In a letter to families and staff, CCH principal said, in part:
“Please know we take these threats very seriously and involve the police immediately. We also hope that if you are hearing anything from your child regarding this incident or any other that may compromise the safety of students and staff, please contact administration.”
It added, “I would ask that families refrain from speculation or circulating rumors, especially those that may appear online.”
According to the London District Catholic School Board, about half of the students at CCH were absent Friday. However, a spokesperson added that the board does not keep track of the reasons why students are not at school.
This threat follows a number of similar incidents at schools throughout the region this year, including this past September when the Catholic Board was forced to close two high schools because of an alleged bomb threat.
Professor in the faculty of education at Western University, and a former public school board education director, Bill Tucker said there’s a parallel between the increase in school threats and mental health issues.
“There just seems to be a gap there in terms of students’ ability to resolve conflict appropriately,” said Tucker. “That kind of approach has to start right from junior kindergarten, all the way up through to secondary school. It has to be all these different interchangeable strategies to deal with mental health and behaviour issues.”
Police did not reveal the nature of the threat. Their investigation is ongoing.
In the meantime, grade 12 student Aaryan Hossain said he can’t believe what’s happening.
“It just seems not normal,” he said. “It’s shocking really. I don’t know how to react to it, you know.”
The incident comes days after a stabbing incident at H.B. Beal Secondary School.
— With files from CTV News London's Kristylee Varley
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Feds hope to table foreign interference legislation next week: LeBlanc
Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to table legislation this week to help the federal government address foreign interference, but he wouldn't say whether the proposal will include a foreign agent registry.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Centre Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs hasn't been ruled out of tonight's Game 7 against the Boston Bruins.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.