Penticton high school put on lockdown after man with hatchet approaches students

Penticton Secondary School went into a hold and secure protocol for a short period this afternoon after students witnessed suspicious behaviour.

School District 67 superintendent Todd Manuel said two students from Penticton Secondary School went to school administration after being approached by a suspicious individual while on the school’s upper track during their break.

The individual didn’t make any specific threats but was apparently looking for someone.

The students then saw what looks to be a hatchet in the man’s back pack.

“Because of that, in obvious concern, they went to administration, who then called RCMP,” Manuel says.

The RCMP attended and “out of an abundance of caution” took Pen High, ConnectEd school and Kettle Valley School nearby into a ‘hold and secure’ protocol.

“A hold and secure protocol is when we have all our kids inside and lock the outside doors, so we know the threat is outside and we’re secure inside,” Manuel says.

RCMP gave the schools the thumbs up to release the hold and secure later this afternoon after investigating. Manuel says police continue to look for the individual.

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