Four students and one adult received minor injuries and two people were arrested after a weapons incident involving bear mace and a pellet gun near Lasalle Secondary School on Wednesday morning.
Greater Sudbury Police said in a written statement that just before 11:15 a.m. June 7, officers were dispatched to the area of Lasalle Boulevard at Paquette Street in relation to a weapons complaint.
Information provided was that a group of individuals had been bear maced and one individual had been shot with a pellet gun by two individuals wearing masks.
Four students and one adult were treated for minor injuries, said police.
Officers quickly located and arrested a 19-year-old woman and a 21-year-old man in relation to the incident.
Both individuals were charged with numerous offences including possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, assault with a weapon and disguise with intent.
They were held overnight in custody and will attend bail court today (June 8) to answer to the charges.
A letter to parents and students from Lasalle Secondary School’s principal, Kristina Rivard-Gobbo, provided more detail about the incident.
“Police were contacted and subsequently apprehended two community members who were threatening students and staff who were outdoors during lunch,” she said, in the letter.
“Some secondary students were sprayed with bear mace and one student was hit with a pellet gun. A custodian intervened on behalf of the students. The perpetrators then left the vicinity, but not before spraying the custodian with bear mace.
“Staff went outside to bring students who were in the area indoors.”
Rivard-Gobbo said the school went into a hold and secure at 11:23 a.m. as a result of the incident.
“Activities inside the Lancer Dome, where an elementary school soccer tournament was underway, continued while staff remained vigilant,” said the letter.
“The hold and secure was lifted at 11:33 a.m. when police confirmed that it was safe to do so.
We thank the police for their prompt response in dealing with this matter. The hold and secure was implemented to ensure the safety of students and staff — always our first priority.”
The Rainbow board’s website defines a hold and secure as “the term used when it is desirable to secure the school due to an ongoing situation outside and not related to the school. In this situation, the school continues to function normally, with the exterior doors being locked until such time as the situation near the school is resolved.”
Rivard-Gobbo commended the students of “Lasalle Secondary School and the Lancer Dome for their conduct” and thanked the school’s staff “for their efforts at keeping everyone safe.”
Heidi Ulrichsen is Sudbury.com’s associate content editor. She also covers education and the arts scene.
