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Youth arrested in connection to Brookswood Secondary lockdown

A 17-year-old involved in pepper spray incident alleged to return to school with firearm
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Langley RCMP arrested a youth believed to be the ‘suspicious male’ who caused the lockdown at Brookswood Secondary School Wednesday.

The 17-year-old Langley teen was released from custody, bound by a number of conditions.

The events leading up to the lockdown still require some clarification, said police.

It would appear there had been a confrontation involving pepper spray in the morning between a Brookswood student and the 17-year-old suspect, said Cpl. Holly Largy.

Police believe the suspect returned to the school grounds later in the day and may have been in possession of a firearm.

“The firearm has not been recovered at this time and there are multiple witnesses and involved parties still to be interviewed. The possibility the firearm was a replica is being investigated,” Largy said.

It was the principal of the school who called police around 2 p.m. with information he had received that there may be someone with a firearm in the east field of the school.

Police arrived en masse, including Air One, police dogs and officers with rifles who surrounded the school. At 3:10 p.m. the lockdown was lifted.

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Parents who gathered outside the school were told by police that their children would be let out classroom by classroom.

Police aired their frustration about the misinformation put out on social media during the lockdown.

“Rumours and conjecture on social media both during and after the events of yesterday did little to assist police in their efforts,” said Largy. “Rather, the rumours served to hinder the investigation and escalated the anxiety suffered by the parents waiting for their children.”

Police will continue with their investigation and if warranted, documentation will be forwarded to Crown Counsel for their consideration of criminal charges.



Monique Tamminga

About the Author: Monique Tamminga

Monique brings 20 years of award-winning journalism experience to the role of editor at the Penticton Western News. Of those years, 17 were spent working as a senior reporter and acting editor with the Langley Advance Times.
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