Girl, 15, charged after threat spurs Toronto school to cut year short
A 15-year-old girl has been arrested and charged after an anonymous threat prompted officials at Toronto’s Branksome Hall to end the school year early.
On Monday, June 13, Toronto police received a report of a threatening call received at a school near Mount Pleasant Road and Elm Avenue. The incident happened shortly before 7:30 a.m. and briefly resulted in Branksome Hall being placed under lockdown.
Officers attended the scene and determined the threats were “unfounded.”
No injuries were reported.
Students, however, were sent home for the remainder of the day.
That evening, the independent all-girls private school sent home a letter home to parents advising them that classes were cancelled for the rest of the school year. The last day of classes for the 2021-2022 school year at Branksome Hall was Tuesday, June 14.
In a statement provided to CP24 at the time, Branksome Hall spokesperson Liisa Stephenson said they decided to end the school year early after “carefully weigh(ing) the risks … against the safety of our community.”
She said Branksome Hall made arrangements for exams and worked with parents and staff to “find creative ways to wrap up the end of the year and celebrate our students’ accomplishments.” An on-campus graduation ceremony for the school’s Grade 12 students was held in May, while end-of-year ceremonies for those in Grades 6 to 11 were held “mostly virtual” this week, Stephenson noted.
On Monday, Toronto police arrested a 15-year-old girl.
The accused, who cannot be named under the provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, has been charged with threatening death, public mischief, and convey false message with intent to alarm. She has an Aug. 15 court date.
Anyone with further information should contact police at 416-808-5300, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-8477 (TIPS) or www.222tips.com.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Why it's 'very hard' to find work in Canada
Vacancies have steadily fallen since the glut of nearly one million open posts in 2022. At the time, one in three businesses had trouble hiring staff due to a labour shortage. Since then, vacancies have dropped.
After another Liberal loss, Trudeau says there are 'all sorts of reflections' to do
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he's going to 'stay focused' on governing after being handed his second byelection upset in recent months, as members of his front bench say they’re 'disappointed' in the party's latest showing at the polls.
A wave of exploding pagers in Lebanon and Syria kills at least 9, including members of Hezbollah
Pagers used by hundreds of members of the militant group Hezbollah exploded near simultaneously in Lebanon and Syria on Tuesday, killing at least nine people -- including an 8-year-old girl -- and wounding several thousand, officials said. They blamed Israel in what appeared to be a sophisticated, remote attack.
How to prevent lung cancer, regardless of whether you smoke, according to a doctor
More people who have never touched a cigarette are getting lung cancer, but there are ways to prevent it, according to a doctor.
Two people charged in murder of Halifax teen; police believe remains have been found
Halifax Regional Police believe Devon Sinclair Marsman, who disappeared in 2022, was the victim of a homicide and two people have now been charged in his death.
Health Canada approves updated Moderna COVID-19 vaccine
Health Canada has authorized Moderna's updated COVID-19 vaccine that protects against currently circulating variants of the virus.
A key employee who called the Titan unsafe testifies the company only wanted to make money
A key employee who labelled a doomed experimental submersible unsafe prior to its last, fatal voyage testified Tuesday that he frequently clashed with the company's co-founder and felt the company was committed only to making money.
These people say they got listeria after drinking recalled plant-based milks
The Canadian Press spoke to 10 people, from the parents of a toddler to an 89-year-old senior, who say they became sick with listeria after drinking from cartons of plant-based milk stamped with the recalled product code. Here's a look at some of their experiences.
Canada's inflation cools to 2% in August, the smallest gain since early 2021
Canada's annual inflation rate reached the central bank's target in August at it cooled to 2 per cent, its lowest level since February 2021, data showed on Tuesday.