Police say a 19-year-old man is facing charges after he was arrested Friday sporting a bulletproof vest at a junior college south of Montreal.
The CEGEP de Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu rapidly went into lockdown after police obtained a 911 name for a person behaving in a “suspicious” means round 9 a.m., sending some college students right into a panic and closely armed officers securing a fringe across the facility.
The Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu police stated the person was held in custody Friday evening and is predicted to seem in courtroom Saturday on charges of uttering threats. Officers arrested the person about an hour after the 911 name “primarily based on info obtained from numerous sources,” the police stated in a information launch early Friday night.
There have been no accidents reported.
A feminine beneath the age of 18 was additionally arrested, initially as a suspect, however police stated Friday night she was later thought-about to be a witness “and has no involvement on this occasion.”
Students and workers have been safely escorted out of the constructing by police as soon as the lockdown was lifted early Friday afternoon, in accordance with St-Jean-sur-Richelieu police spokesperson Sgt. Jérémie Lévesque. One pregnant girl was despatched to hospital as a precautionary measure, he stated. Classes have been cancelled for the remainder of the day.
The lockdown was saved in place for about three hours since police have been investigating whether or not or not there was one other suspect. A 3rd particular person was intercepted by police, however has since been let go after officers decided she or he didn’t have a hyperlink to the incident.
Students at Saint-Jean-Sur-Richelieu college (CEGEP) are on lockdown on Nov. 11 2022. (Marie-Pier Boucher/Noovo Info)
Police haven’t confirmed whether or not or not the person who was arrested has any connection to the college.
A video of the arrests reveals the person wearing a white long-sleeved shirt, darkish cargo pants and what police have confirmed as a bulletproof vest. He is seen kneeling in entrance of police along with his fingers behind his head.
‘I TOLD MY MOM THAT I LOVED HER’
The faculty despatched a discover to college students and workers Friday morning to remain inside their school rooms and to barricade themselves, inflicting panic for some college students who have been left at the hours of darkness about what was going on.
One pupil instructed CTV News she was barricaded in her classroom of about 30 college students for greater than three hours and whereas she was in lockdown she exchanged textual content messages — a few of them emotional ones — along with her mom.
“I actually thought I may die, actually,” stated Marie-Pier Pelletier, after being let loose of the varsity.
“I instructed my mother that I liked her as a result of I did not know what was going to occur.”
“She instructed me to relax, and to breathe and that all the things was going to be okay. I do know that she’s careworn additionally. But she tried to consolation me and it labored.”
After she was allowed to depart the varsity she stated she was planning to go house and provides her mom a hug.
Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu police arrange a safety perimeter across the college and instructed the general public is requested to avoid the location, together with college students and fogeys.
Students barricaded themselves inside CEGEP Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu (Source: Laurence Bilodeau, Cégep de Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu pupil / Noovo Info)
STUDENTS BARRICADED THEIR CLASSROOMS
Annie Metivier, an inside design technician on the college, stated that she and 4 others — a colleague and three college students — barricaded themselves of their classroom.
“I’m nonetheless barricaded, and we do not know something … We’re following the knowledge on social media and from our pals exterior,” stated Metivier in an trade by Facebook Messenger with The Canadian Press.
“We are 5 in my workplace in the meanwhile, and we turned off the lights as a result of that was what we have been instructed to do.”
Police spokeswoman Const. Barbara-Ann Dion stated officers have been looking the campus room by room.
Metivier stated she wished the police operation to be over.
“We’re effective sure … careworn however it’s effective. We simply cannot look forward to all of this to finish,” she stated. “I noticed the police with their weapons subsequent to my workplace as a result of I had to return and lock a door {that a} trainer had unlocked adjoining to my workplace. They instructed me to ‘hurry, hurry up and lock your self in’ … seeing the police with their weapons able to shoot … it will increase the stress.”
Vanessa Nadeau, 17, was en path to the varsity for a ten a.m. class when the lockdown occurred. Speaking to CTV News on college grounds, she stated she’s been texting along with her pals caught inside to ensure they’re okay.
“We need to wait [here] as a result of we need to be sure that they’re effective,” she stated.
Officers have been nonetheless on scene because the investigation continued Friday afternoon.
With information from CTV Montreal’s Kelly Greig and The Canadian Press