Suspect arrested after threat forces Châteauguay schools into ‘shelter in place’ mode

Students at several schools in Châteauguay on Montreal’s South Shore were asked to “shelter in place” on Tuesday morning by the New Frontiers School Board due to a threatening social media post.

The shelter in place order has since been lifted.

On Tuesday evening, the Kahnawake Mohawk Peacekeepers said in a post on their Facebook page that a suspect has been arrested and that the individual is expected to appear in court to be arraigned on unspecified charges.

“There is no active threat to the community of Kahnawake or our neighbouring towns, as it relates to an earlier threatening Social Media Post,” the Peacekeepers said, adding that updates on the case would be released at a later date.

The arrest was the result of a joint operation with the Montreal police service (SPVM).

The shelter-in-place order affected elementary schools in the Châteauguay region, Howard S. Billings Regional High School, the Nova Career Centre and the board’s office.

Shelter in place orders are issued, according to the board, when “there is no direct threat inside a school, but something happening nearby.”

“Students and staff stay inside the building and continue normal activities as much as possible,” the board explains. “A ‘lockdown’ is used when there is a direct threat inside or near the school. Doors are locked, lights off, and students and staff stay hidden and quiet.”