Two days after students were held in classrooms as Mounties combed a Richmond high school prompted by an online threat, the RCMP says a second youth has been identified for his role in the incident.
Cpl. Dennis Hwang told CTV News on Thursday that in the days since the investigation began, officers have "identified an additional youth who has taken responsibility for his role in the matter."
The corporal said the male is cooperating with police, but did not provide more information on the youth because of his age.
His role in the incident that left Robert Alexander McMath Secondary School in a hold and secure on Tuesday was not made public. Police have also provided few details on the threat they were called in for, but a student told CTV that a message about a possible shooting at the school was circulating online.
The day before police became aware of the threat, the school's principal sent an email to parents saying that those accessing its Wi-Fi network were seeing "unsettling statements." His letter told parents that school would resume as usual on Tuesday, but when students arrived, they found themselves stuck in their first-period classes as police searched the building.
Officers took a youth into custody later in the day, and students were dismissed before 3 p.m.
Hwang said police are aware that misinformation has been circulating about the threat and subsequent investigation.
"It is important to understand that information posted on social media is not always reflective of all the facts and can be very misleading at times," he said.
He said Mounties are confident that the school is safe, and that police have access to a number of resources that are not available to the public that assist in their investigations.
"Speaking as a father, I would not hesitate in allowing my children to attend McMath," he said.
