Police presence expected at Saskatoon Holy Cross on Tuesday

Saskatoon police officers will be stationed at Holy Cross High School on Tuesday, a little more than two weeks after a student at the school posted to social media using a map to threaten a school shooting.

The post spoke of “executing” students in common areas at the lunch hour on Tuesday, with a “goal” of 150 to 200.

Even though police were quickly able to determine the threat was a misguided joke without any public risk, Saskatoon Police Service Chief Troy Cooper said officers will be at Holy Cross for community support.

“We don’t expect there to be any issue as far as public safety is concerned,” he said. “It’s one thing to be safe, it’s another thing to feel safe.

“This is a community comfort initiative.”

Cooper said events like this are rare in Saskatoon, but do happen. Earlier this year, police were stationed outside of mosques in Saskatoon following mass shootings in Christchurch, New Zealand.

“Those sorts of events occur from time to time unfortunately, and I think it’s our role that as people gather that we’re there as well to make sure that they know we care about them, that they know we’re present and they know we care about them feeling safe as much as being safe,” Cooper said.

The 16-year-old charged with uttering threats is due in court for his first appearance on Jan. 2.