Rise in weapons calls near Alberta schools could indicate ‘hypervigilance’ after B.C. shootings: RCMP

CTV News Edmonton's Connor Hogg looks into why there have been multiple reports about weapons at Alberta schools since the Tumbler Ridge, B.C. shooting.

Alberta RCMP say there is no certain causality between the Tumbler Ridge, B.C., school shooting and what appeared to be an uptick in reports of weapons at schools in central Alberta.

In the last week, there have been four calls made for reports of threats at schools in Sherwood Park, High River, Fort McMurray and Edson, which RCMP say happened concurrently with the Tumbler Ridge shooting.

Fort McMurray’s incident was a report of a student bringing a firearm to school. An 18-year-old man is now facing charges after police say they obtained a warrant for a home related to the incident and seized a replica firearm.

In a Friday media availability, Alberta RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Mathew Howell said an “abundance of caution” in reporting these events was normal given the “current climate,” but that RCMP had found no connection between any of the calls and what happened in B.C.

“When you have major incidents that affect a nation … it triggers a trauma response,” Howell said.

“There’s no way through the evidence that we have incurred so far to link those incidents to what happened in Tumbler Ridge.”

He added that RCMP doesn’t take issue with caution among Albertans, as officers would rather go to a call they don’t need to be at than not get a call that matters.

Norquest College criminologist Dan Jones said traumatic events that affect us as a nation hit everyone differently.

Some, for example, may feel hypervigilant of perceived threats, he said. Others may have ideas put into their heads.

“I think people start paying way more attention, maybe because there’s the fear that it’s going to happen,” he said in an interview Friday.

Jones worked as a police officer after the 9/11 attacks in 2001 and said bomb threats were common in the aftermath.

“You see a spike in, not necessarily copycat events, but people getting it in their heads that they want to do something like this,” he said.

“Rarely does anything really happen … Some people do it because they think it’s funny, which, it’s not funny. Some people do it because they want the attention.”

School security measures

In an unrelated press conference on Tuesday, Alberta education minister Demetrios Nicolaides said he would be requesting security audits from school boards in the wake of Tumbler Ridge.

“My message to families and students would be a message of reassurance,” he said. “Our schools are safe.”

Statements from both the Edmonton public and Catholic school boards on Friday said they’re awaiting direction from the province.

The Edmonton Public School Board offered emergency situation procedure materials which are available on each school website.

The Edmonton Catholic School Board said it completes its own third-party audit of health and safety practices, and that all administrators participate in mandatory Violence Threat Risk Assessment Training.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Connor Hogg