A search for a man said to be armed with a knife at Holy Rosary Catholic Elementary School in Thorold turned up empty Thursday afternoon.
At 1:30 p.m., staff at the school had alerted police after a child attending a day camp or day care at the school told them they saw an armed man inside the school. While police searched inside and around the school, no man was found. Staff had taken the children to a safe place inside the school while the search was conducted by uniformed offices.
While police searched inside, armed officers from the NRP’s Emergency Task Unit could be seen on the roof of the school, located on Collier Road South. There were several police vehicles on the scene, both in front of the school and in the parking lot.
The service’s K9 unit was also at the scene to help with the search.
Police cleared the building and found nothing suspicious. The safety measures were lifted by staff onsite at approximately 2:45 p.m.
The investigation remains ongoing to determine the validity of the initial report, police said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the investigating officers at 905-688-4111, option 3, ext. 1024233.
Members of the public can also provide information anonymously by contacting 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 which leads to an arrest.
