Four Kingston-area schools — one elementary and three secondary schools — were put into lockdown on Thursday after continuing to receive threats of violence from an anonymous caller.

Between 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Marie-Rivier Catholic Secondary School, Loyalist Collegiate and Vocational Institute, Rideau District High School in Elgin, Kingston Collegiate and Vocational Institute, and Holy Name Catholic School all received the calls and were put into lockdown. As staff and students locked their doors, drew their blinds and hid under desks, police arrived in full force.

Any officers on patrol in the area as well as the force’s emergency response unit raced to each Kingston school, secured it, searched it, and each time deemed it safe. The same was done at RDHS in Elgin by Ontario Provincial Police.

Nothing has been found at any of the schools, police said.

Whenever a school was placed in a lockdown, any schools nearby were as well as a precaution by the Limestone District School Board and the Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District School Board. Once a school was deemed safe by police, it was placed in a hold and secure, most until the end of the school day.

A lockdown is when there is a potential threat inside the school, a hold and secure is when there is a potential threat outside the school. During a hold and secure, all exterior doors are locked and normal school activities continue inside.

On Wednesday, three secondary schools received threatening phone calls as well. First, Regiopolis-Notre Dame Catholic High School, then Bayridge Secondary School and Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School all received phone calls.

The threats made to all of the schools have been similar in nature. Const. Cam Mack of the Kingston Police said most of the calls have been made to the principals of each school, but he couldn’t say if they came from a male or female caller.

“The threats are: that someone is at the school or is approaching the school that has weapons and intends on entering and causing harm,” Mack said, not specifying what the weapons would be.

Const. Sandra Barr of Leeds Ontario Provincial Police confirmed that Rideau District High School received a similar threat. Mack would not confirm whether the two police agencies are now working together, or if Kingston Police were working with any other law enforcement agencies.

A Twitter account online has taken credit for the lockdowns, live-tweeting each lockdown as it happened. Though the account announced which school was next, Mack wouldn’t confirm it is connected to the case. Police simply asked for anyone who is in contact with anyone they suspect of being involved in the threats to stop communicating with them. Despite that, the account’s followers doubled on Thursday.

Const. Curtis Dick of the Frontenac OPP said early Thursday afternoon that their officers were at Sydenham High School as a precaution. Officers spoke to students who claimed to have interacted with the suspected Twitter account.

Mack would not comment on whether they have spoke to Twitter Canada about the account.

“That speaks to the investigative side, and we don’t want to comment on that,” Mack said.

Students and staff shouldn’t be using their electronic devices at all during a lockdown, Mack said. The idea is that the school is supposed to appear empty, and if a cellphone ringer goes off, it could alert an intruder, Mack explained.

Mack asked parents of students at the schools to trust the process. He asked that parents not call their children if they know a lockdown is in place and to not attend the school.

“[Parents] need to trust their school,” Mack said. “Trust their school board, trust the police that we’re going to do everything we can to make sure the school is safe and the students are safe.”

Anyone with information about the threats is asked to contact Kingston Police at 613-549-4660. To provide information anonymously, call 613-549-4660 and ask to remain so, or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

scrosier@postmedia.com

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