'Secure mode' lifted from all Regina schools

An "all clear"signal has been issued for allschools in Regina, following an episode Wednesday when buildings were secured and students were kept inside after a threat was made.

The anonymous threat was received 11:41 a.m. CST by city police.A male on the phonesaid someone was murdered at a school in the city, police said.

Around 2:30 p.m. school officials said they had been given the all-clear signal, adding that the school daywill end as per schedule.

No one has been hurt. The schools were secured as a precaution.

Initially, the all clear signal did not apply to all schools. Police received a second call Wednesday afternoon with a report about a man in the Uplands neighbourhood who appeared to have a gun. Dismissal for schools in that area was delayed. Police found the person and learned he was simply carrying acell phone.

Once police determined there was no cause for alarm, the all clear signal for all schools was issued.

Police were investigating to see if the second call was related to the first threat.

Initial threat was not specific

"The call did not indicate a specific threat nor named a particular school so, as a precaution, all school divisions were advised," Regina police spokespersonElizabeth Popowich said, in reference to the original call.

Schools notified the publicthrough emails, social media, news releases and phonecalls.

"Parents should not call the schools because the schools are probably already overwhelmed by phone calls," Terry Lazarou, from the Regina public school board, said."Their kids are safe."

More than 30,000 students go to elementary and highschool in the city'spublic, Catholic and French systems.

Separate school board describes 'Secure the Building' protocol

The separate school board also released information, to parents, about the situation.

"During the lunch break, our schools were requested to enter 'Secure the Building' mode in response toa threat identified by Regina Police," officials said in the letter. "This protocol keeps our students inside the school when there is a potential threat outside of the building. Staff and students were not in any immediate danger and therefore, the Secure the Building protocol allowed students to move within the building but not exit the school."