Skip to content

Youths arrested following school lockdowns

The Yukon RCMP say they arrested three youths in Riverdale following allegations that they were inside a Whitehorse school where they were not students with weapons, including a replica firearm.
32093512_web1_230222_YKN_news_BULFORD_757-wb_1
Yukon RCMP detachment in Whitehorse seen on Feb. 23, 2023. (Dana Hatherly/Yukon News Files)

The Yukon RCMP say they arrested three youths in Riverdale following allegations that they were inside a Whitehorse school where they were not students with weapons, including a replica firearm.

“On Thursday, March 9, 2023, Whitehorse RCMP received a call at approximately 1:20 pm that administration of FH Collins Secondary School had put the school into lockdown. They told police that people who were not registered students were in a school building with weapons,” a March 9 notice from the RCMP reads.

“As police were en route, it was reported that the suspects were seen leaving school grounds on foot. The descriptions and direction the suspects were travelling were provided to police.”

An email that went out to parents and guardians of students at Selkirk Elementary stated that classrooms were placed in a hold and secure for approximately 20 minutes. This means that students and staff were asked to stay within the building and exterior doors were locked. The email states there was no risk of harm or injury to students or staff.

The RCMP say they located the group in the Riverdale neighbourhood and that they arrested three youths without incident and seized a replica firearm and other weapons from them. Police described the arrests as taking place without incident, a witness at the scene said officers had guns drawn and specified that the arrests took place at the Super A grocery store about half a kilometre from the high school.

“Police on scene worked with school administration to clear the lockdown status. There were no injuries reported by any students or staff at the school related to this incident,” the March 9 statement reads.

The police notice states that the youth they arrested cannot be identified due to provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice act and declined to provide further information about the investigation for the same reasons.

(Jim Elliot)



Jim Elliot

About the Author: Jim Elliot

I’m a B.C. transplant here in Whitehorse at The News telling stories about the Yukon's people, environment, and culture.
Read more