Teens brought BB gun, machetes to Portage la Prairie school: RCMP

RCMP say several teenagers have been charged in Portage la Prairie for allegedly bringing weapons to school.

Police say the RCMP school liaison officer (SLO) at Portage Collegiate Institute was told two students were carrying weapons at the school on Friday and reportedly threatened other students.

Police say immediate attempts to locate the students were unsuccessful.

The SLO spotted the two students around 11:45 a.m. Monday morning, police say, in an alley near the school. The pair tried to flee on foot, but were taken into custody by officers.

Police say a 14-year-old boy from Portage was carrying two machetes and two pocket knives, while a 15-year-old boy from Portage had two machetes and a BB gun.

Both were charged with possession of a weapon for dangerous purpose, carrying a concealed weapon, obstructing a peace officer, and resisting a peace officer. The 15-year-old was also charged with using imitation firearms.

Both were released from police custody with conditions. One of those conditions was not returning to the school.

Other incident two hours later

Roughly two hours later, the SLO was again asked to attend the high school after receiving a report that a large group of students were allegedly fighting off campus. When the officer arrived at the school, they assisted in preventing a fight from taking place.

Mounties then took a 16-year-old boy home and he was told not to go back near the school.

Around 2:30 p.m., while officers were patrolling the area, they noticed a large group of teens walking on the street. Officers noticed a separate teenager, one who was previously reported to have been carrying weapons, running towards the group.

Police stepped in and took the teen — a 14-year-old boy from Long Plain First Nation — into custody. Upon searching the teen, officers found a gun, which was later confirmed to be an airsoft revolver, and a can of bear spray.

The teen has since been charged with two counts of possession of a weapon for dangerous purpose, carrying a concealed weapon, and using imitation firearms.

Mounties also noted the 16-year-old who was informed to not go near the school was also with the group. He was taken into custody and has been charged with breach of peace.

Both have since been released on conditions to not go near the high school.

“We are not going to tolerate youths walking into school or around this community with any type of weapon,” said Insp. Paul Peddle, the officer in charge of Portage RCMP, in a news release. “This is high-risk, dangerous behaviour, and we need to come together as a community to address it.

“If you see any sort of threatening or disturbing behaviour, please report it to police immediately. We will continue to work with community supports and have a presence in the school to create a safe environment for all students.”