UPDATE (4:12 p.m.): The lockdown at NorKam secondary has been lifted. All students at all North Shore schools have been dismissed and are safe after a threat of some kind was directed at NorKam secondary.
UPDATE (3:12 p.m.): According to SD73, all lockdowns have been lifted except at NorKam secondary.
UPDATE: Kamloops RCMP said the incident that led to the lockdown of all schools on the North Shore was related to a threat directed at NorKam secondary.
“Administration at the school immediately issued a lockdown for it and others in the area” Const. Crystal Evelyn said.
There is police presence at several North Shore schools, all of which are under lockdown orders as of 2 p.m. as of Wednesday (March 31) at 2 p.m.
Armed Mounties can be seen at many schools, including NorKam secondary, Kamloops Christian and Brock middle.
A parent of a student at Brock told KTW their child informed them there is a lockdown or hold and secure situation at the school and that the student did not know what was occurring.
“Kamloops RCMP and the local school district are asking parents and members of the public to please avoid the area near and surrounding Norkam secondary school,” Kamloops RCMP Const, Crystal Evelyn said. “Parents are asked to please wait until the lockdown is clear before picking up their students. Thank you for your patience and co-operation. More details will be released as they become available.”
School District 73 superintendent Terry Sullivan said: We were advised by the RCMP they have a threat on the North Shore, so all the schools on the North Shore have a lockdown. We're doing this as a precautionary measure. So we're asking parents not to pick up their children until the lockdown is over."
The school district released this statement: “All students and staff are safe. Parents are asked to wait for further instructions before picking up their children.”
As of about 2:30 p.m., the police presence appeared to be concentrated in the NorKam/McArthur Island area, with officers stationed at various access points, including 12th Street, 10th Street, Kenora Road and Cottonwood Avenue and the ring road on McArthur Island.
By about 3:00 p.m. multiple police vehicles could still be seen outside NorKam, but RCMP road blocks had lifted from most of those roads. The lockdown was still in effect but police resources had been redistributed at that time, an officer told KTW.
Multiple parents could be found in the NorKam parking lot after 3:00 p.m. waiting for their children to be allowed out of the school.
One of those parents, Patrick Rawlings, said his 10th Grade son told him via phone that he's stuck in his classroom and has no idea why, when they will be allowed to leave or the nature of the threat.
"No one really knows exactly what's going on," Rawlings said.
Evelyn told KTW police were still investigating the nature of the threat against Norkam.
Once police are able to determine the threat is false students and staff are safe the lockdown will be lifted and people allowed to leave the school.
