Police swarm Surrey schools, student arrested after threat

Online threat prompts lockdown at Surrey school It was a scary situation for students and parents in Surrey Thursday afternoon when two schools went into lockdown after threats were made.

It was a scary situation for students and parents in the Guilford area of Surrey Thursday afternoon when a school went into lockdown after online threats were made by a student.

Enver Secondary School was asked to go into lockdown by the Surrey RCMP shortly after noon, and a heavy police presence descended on the property.

Surrey RCMP said the lockdown was initiated out of precaution, and it was lifted an hour later after its investigation found the threats "were deemed to be unfounded."

Surrey School District spokesperson Doug Strachan said everyone at the school is safe, adding that staff and students remained in their classrooms and school doors were closed while the building was locked down.

Strachan said a neighbouring school, Janice Churchill elementary, was “locked out” as a precaution. This means classes continued as normal, but the school’s outside doors were locked.

Mounties arrested a young man at another high school, Fleetwood Secondary. A lockdown was not implemented at that school, even though Mounties had guns drawn and even entered the school.

Stephanie Gurney is one of many parents upset at the lack of information provided during the incident, and wants better communication. Her daughter was one of the students who took shelter in darkened classrooms during the lockdown.

“I just wanted to make sure she was okay,” said Gurney, becoming emotional.

“I don’t know the right answer, all I know is I was in the dark, she was in the dark, and that put everybody into a panic. And that’s not what we needed.”

Strachan says his team is always looking for ways to improve communications, and the safety of students and staff always comes first.

“The school's first priority is students and staff are safe, the lockdown is in place and implemented properly, and that everyone is in the classrooms and not on the grounds somewhere,” he said. “That’s first priority.”

With files from CTV Vancouver’s Penny Daflos