Armed police at Aotea College after the school received a threat.
Armed police at Aotea College after the school received a threat.
The student accused of making a threat that forced a Porirua high school into lockdown is facing a formal suspension process.
On Wednesday last week, Aotea College was thrust into a lockdown after a threat of an active shooter was electronically airdropped around the school. In a social media post today, the school confirmed the threat was “anonymous and repeated”.
According to the school the person responsible for the threat, which came the same day as several NCEA exams, has been identified and now faces formal suspension – as well as “a process led by the police”.
A police spokesperson told the Herald the young person who sent the message has been identified, and they will be referred to Youth Services.
Secondary to the original threat, Aotea College is also investigating a number of “false leads and foolish actions” taken by other students on the day, and said these could face further consequences.
“At no time were there any armed people on site - apart from the police, who had responded to the callout.”
The school is now engaging in a health and safety review of the incident and says any specific questions from parents or caregivers should be directed to the whanau leaders and guidance team.
The school also thanked its teachers, staff and parents for their level-headed response to the threat.
“A large part of the orderly response to last week’s incident was due to calm, sensible, teachers and support staff, noticing and following up on their concerns. The same can be said for parents who read their communications from the school and acted with care and co-operation around the police operation.”
A police car outside Aotea College after the school received a threat.
Students who were present at the time of the lockdown told the Herald they were frightened by the threat.
A Year 10 student said police were armed and surrounded the school.
The 15-year-old told the Herald, “everyone was shaken up because if you look over at America you see school shootings all the time and we were scared that’s what was going on.”
He said police had to walk students to the bathroom as they hunkered down in their classrooms for “about two to three hours.
“I was in my classroom doing work and then the alarm came on. Everyone [initially] thought it was a drill,” he said.
“We had to make our way to the main corridor. Everyone hoped it was going to be over.”
The student said police searched the school, sweeping classrooms and bathrooms throughout the lockdown.
The mother of a student told the Herald she understood some younger students had been “freaked out” after the school was told to go into lockdown as a precaution and police descended on the school.
The mother said her son saw “loads of cops and loads of police cars” responding.
