Richmond hostage situation prompts school lockdowns (Burnett Secondary)

milquetoast · Jun 7, 2011

RICHMOND — A hostage-taking incident in a quiet Richmond neighbourhood appeared to have concluded by 7:15 p.m. Tuesday, after causing the afternoon lockdown of two area schools and the evacuation of residents in nearby buildings.

At 7 p.m., police led a man with a shaved head away from an apartment building on Lindsay Road into the back of a police car. The man slouched down when he realized there was a heavy media presence.

The incident appeared to have started around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, when a heavy police presence in the area was first noted. By 2:30 p.m. the school district was informed of events and took the precaution of locking down both MacKay elementary and Burnett secondary schools nearby.

“Our understanding is that a person with a weapon has been confined by police in an apartment,” Richmond’s assistant superintendent of schools Scott Robinson told The Sun. “It’s a purely precautionary measure that we’re in a lockdown situation until police are able to make sure that the area is safe for kids. We don’t want to take any chances.”

The lockdowns were lifted around 3:45 p.m.

Reader Sylvia Chiu said in an email mid-afternoon a guy had reportedly run into an apartment with a gun and grabbed a child. Joy Evangelista reported by email that she could see a sniper on a balcony across from her house. She said the police were asking everyone in the area to evacuate.

By 5 p.m., Lindsay Road and Linfield Gate were closed to all traffic and there were about 20 police cars in the area, in addition to a large police trailer. A police helicopter circled overhead as families with children sat on the grass, waiting to go home. There were shuttles to nearby Thompson Community Centre, which had been made into an evacuation centre.

At 6:50 p.m., an ambulance pulled up next to the building the suspect was believed to be in. It left shortly after the suspect was taken into custody, without its light on. Heavily armed emergency-response team members followed.

A man who said he knew the alleged hostage-taker said he was a "good guy" who is going through a rough time in his life. The man's father died last year and his twin brother killed himself shortly after, the acquaintance said.

Leone Simpson, who lives in a neighbouring building, said police banged on her door between 2 and 2:30 p.m. and told her to leave.

“There were all sorts of [police] with rifles and helmets,” Simpson said. “They said, ‘There’s a police incident. Grab your keys, you have to get out.”

Students at Burnett secondary say the school went into lockdown at around 2:30 p.m. after what appeared to be a code over the announcement system.

"They said there was a phone call for Mr. Eager, and since we don't have a teacher named Mr. Eager, we were like, 'What's going on?' " said Zita Poon, 17.

"Then teachers turned out the lights and you know those locks that cover the whole windows? Those went down."

Sarah Aljeboury, 16, said the principal came on shortly afterward, telling students there was a "high-danger situation" and to stay in their rooms.

"Some students were pretty worried," she said. "Some girls I saw, they were crying. People were on their phones, and some heard from Facebook statuses that there had been a shooting."

"We had to stay hidden in the dark for over an hour, and everyone was freaking out," said Kayley Nelson by email. "The SWAT team showed up, and there were multiple RCMP vehicles. All of Granville got closed off, and buses were pulled over. No one was allowed in the area. It was a very scary event."

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/va...ng+prompts+school+lockdown/4908386/story.html
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Night Of GuardianS · Jun 10, 2011

Burnett was the highschool I went to.

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Richmond hostage situation prompts school lockdowns (Burnett Secondary)

milquetoast Senior Member

Night Of GuardianS Active Member

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