UPDATE: A 16-year-old, who is not a student at the school, is now in custody
Esquimalt High went into lockdown and Vic West elementary into a precautionary hold-and-secure situation after reports a student was robbed at knifepoint came in just after noon on Monday.
VicPD was seeking a suspect described as First Nations man with short dark hair, wearing a black sweater, blue jeans and a bandana with red flames after a robbery at the 800 block of Colville Road. An ambulance was called to the high school for a medical call, but police said it was not directly related.
VicPD spokesperson, Const. Matt Rutherford, confirmed the student reported she was robbed at knifepoint.
“Initially it was thought to have occurred in the school. It was determined to have occurred a block away,” he said.
The suspect remained at large at press time.
#esquimalt High School is currently in 'Lock Down' due to the ongoing incident. #yyj
— Victoria Police (@vicpdcanada) November 6, 2017
Lockdown at my kid's school. Way to freak a mama out. #yyj @vicpdcanada please tell me things are okay? pic.twitter.com/MhNd6vyCNe
— Alisa Gordaneer (@gordaneer) November 6, 2017
Parents received texts from their students during the incident as families tried to find out what was happening.
Police tweeted that the lockdown had been lifted at about 1:15 p.m. at Esquimalt High, with no injuries reported.