North Bay police charge male high school student after bringing airsoft gun to school

A male student is facing criminal charges after an incident involving a replica firearm sent a North Bay high school into lockdown Thursday, police say.

He is charged with possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose and causing a disturbance and cannot be named under the country's Youth Criminal Justice Act, North Bay police said in a news release.

St. Joseph-Scollard Hall Catholic Secondary School was placed under lockdown around 12:55 p.m. Oct. 27 when police received a call about a male student with a firearm on campus.

Through witnesses and video surveillance, police were able to identify and locate the accused within 20 minutes and place him under arrest.

The lockdown was changed to a 'hold and secure' until 2:10 p.m. when it was lifted.

Police confirmed the replica firearm found at the scene is an airsoft gun.

"I want to commend the quick response of our officers, the work of school officials, and the actions of those who reported this incident to police," said North Bay Chief of Police Scott Tod.

"The North Bay Police Service takes every call involving a firearm incredibly seriously and we will always react with an appropriate police response. That means we will treat the firearm as real until the investigation determines it is not. This can place the offender at a serious risk of harm. No one should ever transport, carry, or use a replica firearm in any way in which it could be mistaken for a real gun. The fact that, in this incident, the weapon turned out to be a replica firearm does not mitigate the actions of the accused."

• Download our app to get alerts to your device
• Get the latest newsletters right to your inbox

No injuries were reported in the incident, police said.

The teen was released from custody on an undertaking.

Lockdown protocols go into effect when there is a major incident or threat of school violence within the school or in relation to the school, the Nipissing-Parry Sound Catholic District School Board said.

"In light of this information, staff acted quickly to ensure a lockdown was put in place. This means that staff directed students to the closest secured area, remained with the students, and locked all doors in the area of the school to keep everyone safe indoors," the school board said.

"The safety, security and well-being of our students and staff are our main priority. As such, our student support services team will continue to be available to support our students and staff."