Guns found in search after teen threatens York Region high school: police

A York Regional Police vehicle is pictured in this file photo. (Simon Sheehan /CP24)

York Regional Police say they have charged a youth after an alleged threat against his high school resulted in several firearms being seized from his home.

Officers attended the school on Dec. 18 after the student allegedly made a threat “to bring a firearm and cause harm at the school,” police said.

The threat was directed toward multiple people verbally, police told CP24.com  

“Through investigation, a search warrant was conducted at the youth’s residence and a number of firearms were seized,” police said in a release Monday.

The guns were legally owned and stored, police told cp24.com, however they were seized under the public safety provisions of the Criminal Code.

The student has been removed from the school and has now been charged with uttering threats and possession of a restricted firearm without a licence, police said. He cannot be identified under the terms of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

Investigators are still looking into the motive behind the threat, YRP told CP24.com.

Police would not say where exactly the incident took place in order to protect the privacy of the accused.

“Youth Engagement Officers, under the York Regional Police Community Services Bureau, were engaged at the onset of the investigation,” police said in their release. “A Violent Threat Risk Assessment (VTRA) was conducted by Youth Engagement Officers, certified Board staff and community partners.”

The goal of the VTRA is to create a safety plan for potential victims and also to create a plan for the accused, according to police.

The decision about whether the student will be able to eventually return to school will be up to the school board.

Nobody else is facing charges in connection with the incident, police said.