Teen faces new charges after threats to schools in Manitoba and Nova Scotia

CITYnews halifax / By News Staff and The Canadian Press

A 14-year-old Manitoba boy is facing new charges, including conspiracy to commit murder, over threats to schools in Manitoba and Nova Scotia.

The teen from Rivers, Man., and a 15-year-old girl from Bridgewater, N.S., were arrested in March after police allege the two accused talked online about simultaneously attacking schools in both provinces.

BACKGROUND: Teens from Manitoba, Nova Scotia accused of planning ‘violent attack’ on schools

The alleged target in Manitoba was Rivers Collegiate, a Grade 7-12 school about 250 kilometres west of Winnipeg. Its website says it has about 140 students.

The other alleged target was the Grade 10-12 Park View Education Centre in Bridgewater, a school with about 880 students.

Officers received information on March 13 from Interpol and the FBI that two people began talking online at the end of February about their desire to attack their schools.

The RCMP arrested the Manitoba youth on March 16 after pulling over his school bus. Mounties seized electronic devices from him and from his home, as well as two firearms owned by a relative. The firearms were seized because of the nature of the threats, police said.

Bridgewater police took the Nova Scotia youth into custody on March 17.

“Police located detailed handwritten plans, imitation weapons, roughly made imitation pipe bomb and assault rifle, electronic devices including cell phone and laptop and clothing with hate symbols and concerning comments,” according to a March 18 news release from Bridgewater Police Service.

The Manitoba teenager was initially charged with uttering threats. After further police investigation, the boy has now been charged with conspiracy to commit murder, counselling the offence of murder, and two new uttering threats offences. He is scheduled to appear in court June 4.

The girl from Nova Scotia was already charged with conspiracy to commit murder and one count of uttering threats.

The teens were arrested just a few weeks after the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., where nine people were killed, including the shooter. Investigators say there’s no indication their alleged plans were spurred by the Tumbler Ridge killings.