PICKERING -- Police have a suspect in custody following a stabbing near St. Mary Catholic Secondary School Friday morning.
Meanwhile the victim, a St. Mary’s student, is offering “little co-operation,” report Durham Regional Police.
“We have one male in custody and the investigation is continuing,” said Sergeant Paul McCurbin, Durham Regional Police spokesman.
Shortly after 9 a.m., police received a call about a stabbing on the footpath just north of St. Mary. The two males involved in the altercation left the scene, but one was located at the Rouge Valley Ajax and Pickering Hospital, where he was treated for “non-life-threatening” stab wounds, police say. Police won’t say where on the body the victim was stabbed.
“We had a report of a person being injured off the school property, in a walkway. When we checked, there was no one there,” said Principal Mary Curran, shortly after police arrived at the school.
“The police did a terrific job,” Ms. Curran said. “The students were well behaved. The lockdown procedure went well.”
Although there were no threats involving the school or the nearby community, St. Mary was locked down following the incident simply because both of the students involved attend the school, located on Whites Road just south of Finch Avenue.
Interviews with students outside the school showed most of them were shaken and silent following the ordeal.
George Linons, 16, was in one of his first classes of the day when the police came in.
“We went into lockdown and didn’t get out of our class until 11:40 a.m.. I heard the police went into all the classrooms. We’re just going for lunch now, but I doubt if very many people will come back to school this afternoon,” he said.
“I was in my history class and I had to sit against the wall when we went into lockdown,” said Shelley Florio, 16. “I just heard when we got out of lockdown that someone was stabbed. It’s kind of freaky; it doesn’t make me feel safe.”
Ryan Cudahy, 17, said, “I heard about it, that someone was stabbed. While I was sitting in lockdown in my math class, someone text messaged me about it. It sucks; it’s kind of shocking.”
“When we heard that there was a lockdown on the P.A. and that it wasn’t a drill, we were shocked,” said Grade 12 student Rachel Calvelli. “Our teacher turned off all the lights, closed the blinds, blocked the door window with paper, slipped a yellow piece of paper outside the room and told us all to sit against the wall and not to speak. We were sitting for about an hour or so, everyone silent, uncomfortable and unaware of what would happen next.”
A letter was to be sent home with students “at the end of the day,” Ms. Curran said. “We want to reassure them.”
Classes resumed after lunch and two police officers were to remain at the school for the day, Ms. Curran added.
“We were very pleased with the police response,” she stated.
Sgt. McCurbin said the two were involved in a verbal confrontation that eventually turned physical. Although it was reported to police that a portion of the argument took place inside the school, the actual stabbing did not, added the sergeant. The school was shut down for approximately an hour and a half “in efforts to locate that person.”
The school was in lockdown -- meaning no one could enter or leave the school -- for about 90 minutes, reopening shortly after 11 a.m.
“There is no threat to the community, there’s no threat to the school and there’s no threat to the staff there,” Sgt. McCurbin said.
Sgt. McCurbin said the victim is not co-operating with police.
“He’s indicated he doesn’t know the name of the person that did this,” he stated.
Sgt. McCurbin said at a school with as many students as St. Mary, there are a lot of rumours flying around, and police would appreciate any information they can.
“We continue to work, obviously, and we hope to get more cooperation from the community and students,” he said.
Unconfirmed reports from students were that a Grade 9 student stabbed a Grade 11 pupil in the throat with a pen.