Ashmont School had an estimated 50 students attend classes at the K to 12 school on Monday, following the cancellation of buses from surrounding First Nations communities due to a threat made on Sunday afternoon. The school has an enrolment of over 500 students.
In the afternoon of Nov. 3, at about 3:26 p.m., St. Paul RCMP responded to an uttering threats complaint. A man allegedly had made threats to "shoot up" Saddle Lake First Nation, Whitefish Lake First Nation, along with Ashmont School being specifically named.
"Police were able to determine the male responsible for the threats and (he) was arrested," reads a media release from RCMP. A 70-year-old male from Ashmont has been charged with three counts of uttering threats.
Cpl. Ron Bumbry, EAD media relations group, spoke with the Journal Monday morning, confirming the name of the accused had not been released. The name of the accused cannot be disclosed pending the swearing in of information, which may occur at some point on Monday or Tuesday, but that would depend on the court process, said Bumbry.
"Until the court document is signed, his name cannot be released," said Bumbry. He also confirmed the accused had been released on Sunday, with conditions.
On Monday morning, St. Paul Education Regional Division superintendent Glen Brodziak and board chair Heather Starosielski were at Ashmont School, helping relay information and answer questions, offering extra support.
Brodziak described the threat toward the communities and the school as being "very alarming" and noted the division looks at the situation through the eyes of a parent. "We're taking it very seriously," he said, noting the division has been in contact with both First Nations communities and RCMP.
“Right now we’re in constant communication with RCMP and the two nations," said Brodziak. The outside doors of the school were locked on Monday, and an RCMP officer was at the school in the morning.
Brodziak also confirmed that neither Saddle Lake nor Whitefish Lake ran buses to the school on Monday. The school division was planning to meet with both chief and councils soon to discuss the matter further, said Brodziak.
When asked if the division had dealt with any similar incidents in the past, Brodziak said that unfortunately there have been situations that have neared what occurred on Sunday.
"We want to give as much information as we can," explained Brodziak, when speaking about the process. But, the division must also abide by the Education Act and what the law stipulates. “We want to be as up front as we can be.”
"St. Paul RCMP would like to remind the public that any complaints made regarding threats will be taken seriously and charges will be laid where applicable. Public safety is our priority. We encourage the public to come forward if there are concerns for any public safety issues," reads the media release from Nov. 3.
"Any time threats are made, we have a duty to inform those individuals," said Bumbry. He explained RCMP member also have to respect the process that is in place once charges are laid.
Bumbry affirmed that when threats are made, they are taken seriously, and "we have to act."
If you have any information about this, or any other crime, please call the St. Paul RCMP at (780) 645-8888, or call your local police detachment. If you want to remain anonymous, you can contact Crime Stoppers by phone at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or by internet atwww.tipsubmit.com or by SMS (check your local Crime Stoppers www.crimestoppers.ab.ca for instructions).
*A statement was received from Saddle Lake Cree Nation shortly after 4 p.m. Nov. 4, in response to the incident. Due to the Journal's press deadline, the statement was not included in the print version of this story. See photo for complete statement.
