Guelph Police say there was never any threat to the safety of students or staff after an elementary school went into lockdown on Thursday afternoon.
Around 2:50 p.m. a man was seen walking in the halls of Victory Public School on Exhibition Street, said Cst. Kyle Grant of Guelph Police.
He had been on school property outside and a student inadvertently let the man into the school.
Grant said the man is a homeless person known to frequent the downtown core and is not considered a threat.
He was approached by the school's principal and asked to leave, which he immediately did, Grant said.
"There were no weapons, he never hurt anyone and he didn't threaten anyone." Grant said. "It's police opinion that he was never any threat to student or staff safety.
"It was just a strange adult inside the school and they just took the extra precaution — and rightfully so — of locking down the school until everything was sorted out," Grant said.
The principal followed procedure and placed the school on lockdown for approximately 30 minutes.
Police were called and immediately responded, locating the man nearby at approximately 3 p.m.
Grant said the man was spoken to and issued a notice of trespass, which means if he is seen on the school property again he could be arrested.
Upper Grand District School Board spokesperson Heather Loney said parents were notified about the incident by the school principal on Thursday afternoon using the parent/guardian call-out system.
"All UGDSB schools have procedures in place that outline the actions staff will take in a variety of circumstances. When a person unknown to the school comes to the school, they are required to report to and sign-in at the school main office. If a person is not supposed to be in the school, they are asked to leave. Victory PS staff did approach the individual and ask him to leave, which he did right away," Loney said.
She added that all schools are required to practice lockdown drills each year.
