Student in custody after 2 staff members stabbed at Bedford high school
Staff 'injured following an altercation with a student,' education officials say
Update, March 21, 2023: Student, 15, charged with attempted murder after 2 staff stabbed at Bedford high school
Charles P. Allen will reopen to students Tuesday afternoon after three people were injured in a stabbing at the Bedford, N.S., high school Monday morning.
In an email to families on Monday evening, the Halifax Regional Centre for Education said two staff members were injured "following an altercation with a student."
The email said classes will resume for students at 12:45 p.m. and will follow a mini-day schedule.
"School psychologists, school social workers and school counsellors will be available at the school over the coming days to provide individual and small group supports to students who would like to connect with them," the email said.
"We know from past experiences and the advice of experts that returning to the routine of school is in the best interest of our students. It provides a safe space for students to access supports related to their emotional well-being and their academic achievement."
Lindsey Bunin, a spokesperson for Halifax Regional Centre for Education, said earlier on Monday two staff were taken to hospital after being injured in "an incident with a student who did have a weapon." She said the third person who was injured was the student.
'Extremely saddened and troubled'
"We are extremely saddened and troubled by what took place," Bunin told reporters.
In a statement earlier on Monday, Halifax Regional Police said the extent of injuries is "unknown at this time."
Police initially put the number of victims at four, before issuing a correction.
Stab wounds to staff, suspect
Police were made aware of the incident at 9:20 a.m., the statement says. A student at the school was arrested at around 9:31 a.m. and taken to hospital. He remains in police custody.
In a 4 p.m. email update, police said, "We can also confirm that the three individuals were members of the school. Beyond these details, we are not able to provide further specifics at this time out of respect for privacy and investigative considerations."
Bunin said the incident unfolded after "there was a concern with the student." She said the student was in the school's office at the time. A "hold and secure" was then put in place, which means students had to stay in classrooms. The student left the school but was apprehended by police, she said.
'A tough day'
Charles P. Allen High is the largest school in Nova Scotia, with 1,700 students.
When asked about families who were upset to find out about the stabbing on social media, Bunin said a message had been sent through the Power School Network, which is a program the school uses to communicate. She said families that did not get a message should check to see if their contact information is up to date.
Quick action taken, education minister says
Becky Druhan, Nova Scotia's minister of education, said staff and students should be recognized for their quick actions at the school.
"They followed their emergency management training (hold and secure), ensuring that no one was else injured or more seriously harmed," Druhan said in a statement.
Druhan said her department will work with the Halifax Regional Centre for Education to "ensure the safety protocols in place worked as intended and determine any next steps."
Watch: Bedford high school to reopen Tuesday after 2 staff members were stabbed
Ryan Lutes, president of the Nova Scotia Teachers Union, said he's been in touch with the administration and HRCE about counselling.
"[Schools] deserve to be safe places for our kids and our teachers and our principals and our school staff, and today that obviously wasn't the case, so it's a tough day," Lutes said.
Videos taken by students show two adults being taken to hospital by ambulance and one person being placed under arrest outside the school.
The school announced just after 10:30 a.m. that it would be closing for the day.
"There was an incident at the school first thing this morning," said a letter to parents. "All students are safe and there is currently no threat to public safety."
With files from Andrew Sampson, Blair Rhodes and Brett Ruskin
