Manitoba RCMP say charges are pending against a 15-year-old who allegedly stabbed another teen in Portage la Prairie on Monday.
Mounties say around 10:05 a.m. on Sept. 21, they responded to a report of an assault at the Portage Collegiate Institute.
The Portage la Prairie School Division, which oversees 17 schools in the area west of Winnipeg, said the injured student immediately sought help from a staff member.
A statement posted online from Pamela Garham, the division’s superintendent and CEO, said staff members provided first aid and emergency crews were called.
“The division’s priority throughout the incident was the safety and security of students and staff while police worked to locate and apprehend the suspect,” said Garham.
“While this event is concerning, (the division) wants to reassure the community that maintaining safe and secure learning environments remains a top priority across all schools.”
Garham added that the division is reviewing the stabbing to determine whether any additional safety measures or protocols are needed.
RCMP and paramedics reportedly found a 14-year-old boy suffering from a stab wound, and he was taken to a hospital in Winnipeg in stable condition.
Through the initial stages of an investigation, police learned that the teen was allegedly stabbed by another teen, who then fled the scene.
Learning this, the collegiate and nearby daycares were briefly locked down.
Police say that minutes later, a teen who was believed to be connected was found at a nearby residence, and he was taken into custody.
Charges against the 15-year-old from Long Plain First Nation are pending.
Premier Wab Kinew said his government is supporting Portage la Prairie.
“As a society, making sure the kids are safe when they go to school is one of the basic responsibilities that we have, so scary situation. We’re taking a look at it,” he said at an unrelated event.
“This is a very sobering and real reminder of why school safety requires constant vigilance.”
The province ordered all school divisions last year to review their security policies and submit them to the education department, after an elementary student was grabbed in a Winnipeg school bathroom.
The government said it received updated safety plans from all divisions the following month.
Kinew said the province is going to “double down” on those measures to make sure divisions are following their proposals.
Garnham said in an email that the Portage la Prairie division has made “significant investments” to strengthen security at all its schools.
Those include locking exterior doors, adding cameras and buzzers for public visitors, installing surveillance systems to monitor interior hallways and outdoor property, and adding more key-entry systems for staff.
“While no single measure can eliminate all risks, (the division) remains committed to continuously evaluating and strengthening school safety practices,” said Garnham.
-With files from the Canadian Press
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