On April 20th, 2022, the Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS) with assistance from members of the public, identified and located the individual responsible for publishing the social media post that caused community concern in relation to Niagara schools.
The individual, a 14-year-old high school student admitted to publishing the post on Snapchat after hearing a rumor from a friend about an individual planning to stab students. The friend, a 16-year-old high school student was also identified and located by police, who alleged to have heard the unsubstantiated rumor. No arrests are expected at this time.
The validity of the social media post continues to be unverified. Detectives assigned to 3 District (Welland/Port Colborne) with assistance from the Cyber Crime Unit continue to investigate. At this time there remains no substantiated threat to members of the public, teachers, and students within our educational institutions.
While social media can be an excellent tool for immediate and widespread dissemination of critical information, it can also have an adverse effect when the information is not verified. When weighing the legitimacy of information seen on social media, members of the public are encouraged to seek out official sources such as the Niagara Regional Police Service.
Anyone with information that may further this investigation is encouraged to contact detectives at 905-688-4111, option 3, extension #1023300.
Members of the public who wish to provide information anonymously can contact Crime Stoppers of Niagara online or by calling 1-800-222-8477. Crime Stoppers offers cash rewards to persons who contact the program with information that leads to an arrest.
Incident #22-40519