A 16-year-old boy carrying a loaded handgun was found inside C.W. Jefferys Collegiate yesterday.
He has been charged with 12 offences including carrying a concealed weapon, unauthorized possession of a firearm and failure to comply with probation.
The youth, who cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, was a student at the school, police say.
The arrest was made at 9:55 a.m. and the school did not go into lockdown mode.
“In this case, there was no threat made to staff or students at the school,” said Kelly Baker, a spokesperson for the Toronto District School Board. “The police are the ones that issue lockdowns … and they have a list of criteria.”
In May 2007, 15-year-old Jordan Manners was gunned down inside the Sentinel Road school. His death sparked a review of school safety and has led to a number of changes in the system, including designated officers being assigned to certain schools. Jefferys does not have an officer specifically posted on campus.
Mark Pugash, a spokesperson for Toronto police, said that while these “resource officers” — or so they’re called — have proven extremely effective, they are not a guarantee that crime will never happen.
“They are there to build relationships with staff and students,” he said. “And (the feedback) we’ve been getting has been excellent.”
