Kenneth Gordon Maplewood Elementary evacuated after threat emailed to school

Students at an elementary school in North Vancouver were evacuated from the building for part of the afternoon Tuesday after the school received a threat by email.

The threat – which was not aimed at anyone specific – was emailed to the school, said Sgt. Peter DeVries, spokesman for the North Vancouver RCMP.

Students were evacuated from the school and police cordoned off the area while bomb-sniffing dogs from the integrated police dog services unit were brought in to check for explosives.

Nothing was found and students returned to their classes in under an hour, said DeVries.

He added all threats are taken seriously, although almost all of them turn out to be unsubstantiated. “We’re not going to take any chances,” he said.

DeVries added police are aware of a very similar threat that was also sent to Sullivan Heights Secondary school in Surrey this afternoon. That school was also checked and cleared by police.

DeVries said police are investigating whether there is a connection between the threats.

“We will actively pursue anybody who makes these kinds of threats . . . and attempt to identify and prosecute anyone who makes these sorts of threatening phone calls or emails,” he said.