Halifax West High School Placed on Lockdown After Phone Threats; Separate Knife Incident Hits Lower Sackville Schools
Halifax West High School went into lockdown Thursday after receiving threats by phone during lunch hour. Separately, two Lower Sackville schools were placed under a hold and secure order earlier in the day due to a man with a knife on school property.
Halifax West High School was placed on lockdown Thursday after receiving threats over the phone during lunch hour. Police were notified of the threat at the school, located at 283 Thomas Raddall Drive, at approximately 12:25 p.m. Administrators issued the lockdown immediately after calling police.
Students and staff who were outside the building at the time were directed to a safe gathering point away from the school. Police asked the public to avoid the area around Halifax West High School, and the Halifax Regional Centre for Education (HRCE) advised parents and families not to come to the school.
In a separate incident earlier that day, Leslie Thomas Junior High and Sackville High School in Lower Sackville were placed under a hold and secure order after a man with a knife was seen on school property around 8:55 a.m. The suspect is described as wearing a dark hooded jacket and black pants, and carrying a backpack.
The hold and secure order at both Lower Sackville schools was lifted later in the day. However, as of 12:45 p.m., the RCMP was still attempting to locate the man with the knife. Anyone with information regarding either incident can contact police at 902-490-5020.