Edmonton police charge two students for uttering threats against schools

Edmonton police have charged two students under the age of 18 with uttering threats using Instagram in separate incidents.

Both were charged on Wednesday, police told a Thursday news conference.

The most recent threats were directed Wednesday at staff and students at McNally and J Percy Page High Schools. They followed earlier threats the same dayagainst HarryAinlay High School.

In both cases the threats were made online using the popularsocial media website Instagram.

'I just want to make it clear that we take this very seriously'

"We continue to monitor these threats as there is somewhat of an explosion of these happening right now," said Sgt. Emuel Chan with the EPS School Resource Officer Unit.

"I just want to make it clear that we take this very seriously. It's a zero-tolerance policy that we have with regards to threats especially at schools, malls, shopping centres, public centres, etc."

One of the suspects used the handle "clown.yeg" on Instagram, Chan said.

The same suspect also posted a photo of what appears to be a coffin and a clown head or mask.That's raised concerns the incidentsmight be connected to clown threats and hoaxes that have been sweeping across North America in recent weeks.

'The clown thing is not significant'

Chan downplayed those concerns.

"It is simply a title and I could make up a title and use it as my moniker for Instagramthe clown thing is not significant." Chan told reporters.

"I will say there have been many unfounded reports, for example, of clowns. You can appreciate how rumours start but I haven't seen any clowns myself today."

But the details of the threats are still concerning for police.

"It's inciting violence and the whole spectrum of inciting violence. It can be'I can do a hit on that person for you' to the very extreme of possibly using guns."

The threat against Harry Ainlay school led to a lockdown on Wednesday.

'Alockdown is the protocol that we follow'

"There was information that suggested that a threat came from inside the school or that we had received posts inside the school, so when we have a threat inside a school, a lockdown is the protocol that we follow," said Chan.

The threats against the other schools happened in the evening, outside of school hours.

Chan saidthe students who have been charged have admitted that they made the threats but a motive is still not clear.

"It's speculation at this point why they are doing this," said Chan. "Is it attention? It isa joke? Our message here today is that it is not a joke.

"You have to take responsibility for what you say online and how you continue on with those types of conversations and yesterday that led to criminal charges."

Police are asking anyone, especially students, to let them know if they encounter anything that could be deemed a threat.

"Come forward with your information and tell us if something doesn't feel right, if something feels suspicious or if you've encountered something online that shouldn't be online. Letus know about that so we can react and react properly to these threats."