The lock-down has officially been lifted at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, as police continue to investigate an online threat made to the school. The Sydenham Current spoke with two Laurier students, graduates from LKCS in Dresden and WDSS in Wallaceburg, about the ordeal.
Wilfrid Laurier University’s Waterloo campus was placed on lockdown at 6 a.m. October 16 following an online post referencing Laurier. After a thorough investigation by law enforcement agencies, Wilfrid Laurier University and Waterloo Regional Police Service lifted the lockdown at 11:30 a.m.
Abbey Broad, a second year kinesiology student, has been home in Wallaceburg this week for reading week.
“I got a text this morning from them saying the whole campus was locked down,” Broad said, adding that the message came in at around 8 a.m.
Former LKCS student Carrie-Anne Bauer, a second year global studies major at Laurier, said she has been home all week in Thamesville as well.
Bauer said she received the same text from the school.
“My friend messaged me (who goes to the University of Waterloo down the street) and he said there were police everywhere this morning and a helicopter over head when he was heading to school this morning,” she said.
“I just heard somebody posted on this website called 4chan saying ‘Don’t go to Laurier tomorrow, stay away from the science building.’ They’re really freaked out because that’s what happened in Oregon last week and nobody saw it and 12 people died. Thank goodness someone called Crime Stoppers.”
Broad said she was surprised and worried when she got word about the lock-down.
“You don’t really think anything will happen to your school, but of course I’m hoping that all my friends and teachers that stayed on campus over the break are all safe.”
Superintendent Pat Deitrich of the Waterloo Regional Police Service said during a press conference that the school received a call from the FBI, about a threat posted online about the school.
Waterloo police confirmed the threat was made in a post on the site 4chan, and was directed at the science building.
Police say the threat was determined to not be credible, however similar threats have been directed to other schools in the past, including before the recent tragedy in Oregon.
The university was set resume normal operations today.
Police say the “complex investigation” is on-going.
