Fri, January 16, 2009
Cops foil plan by teens to target Winnipeg schools, church
By THE CANADIAN PRESS



WINNIPEG — Police in Winnipeg say they’ve foiled a plan by two people who allegedly planned to randomly gun down people at three schools and a church.

“This is something that in my 12 years I’ve never seen,” Winnipeg police spokeswoman Const. Jacqueline Chaput said Friday.

“These persons allegedly intended to randomly harm numerous persons.

“We’re aware of one specific person that may have been a victim, but other than that all the other potential victims would have been randomly selected.

“They were focused on attaining their goals but luckily we thwarted those goals.”

Chaput declined to comment on the possible motive, but said the pair had “a connection of sorts” with the four targeted locations: Lorette Collegiate, Fort Richmond Collegiate, the University of Manitoba and Church of the Rock.

Police have arrested a 17-year-old male and 17-year-old woman and charged them with multiple counts of break and enter along with firearms charges and four charges of conspiracy to commit murder.

Their names were not released.

Police say the events leading to the arrests began over two months ago, on Nov. 8, when a home in Portage la Prairie was broken into. Hunting rifles, a pellet gun and ammunition were taken.

A month later, the 17-year-old was arrested in Winnipeg and charged with the break-in.

It was then learned, said Chaput, about the alleged plot to injure staff and students at the four locations.

Chaput wouldn’t say how police came to learn of the plots, saying the release of such information could compromise the investigation.

Both accused remain in custody and further arrests are not expected.

At Fort Richmond Collegiate, students were alarmed when learning of the alleged plot.

“Everyone is just kind of shocked,” said Jenna Chin, a Grade 10 student. “It makes me scared and wondering if I’m safe.”

Chin and Fort Richmond’s hundreds of other students were handed take-home letters in which principal Lorraine Carter tells parents of an unspecified “serious threat made by two individuals” and states that the Pembina Trails School Division has a “very effective threat assessment protocol” to guard against such a danger.

“Although these types of occurrences are very troubling, rest assured the students and staff are safe at school,” the letter states.

Chin added the students have been trained with “lock-down rehearsals, so we would know what to do” if an intruder enters.

Grade 11 student Sarah Martin said school shootings have become “kind of a normal thing” in Canada and beyond in the past several years.

“It’s kind of sad,” she said. “It’s just depressing what’s happening in the world.”

(Winnipeg Sun)