York Regional Police Search for Suspect in Markham

bullpower

A hold and secure at two Markham schools has been lifted and students have been allowed to leave, a parent of one of the students tells yorkregion.com

A man who is being described as possibly armed was on the loose after police stopped a car in Markham.

The incident began just past 1:45 p.m. after a York police officer stopped a car with four males inside, near Major Mackenzie Drive and Woodbine Avenue.

Although the officer intended to arrest all four men, one escaped and was on the loose, resulting in a large police presence in the area.

Two schools, including Sir Wilfrid Laurier Public School and Sir John A. MacDonald, were placed on a hold and secure, according to the York Regional District School Board.

Police were advising those in the area to stay indoors and those planning to attend the area to stay away.

One mother at Sir Wilfrid Laurier explained to York Region Media Group staff that her daughter, a student at the school, was told that a black male in jeans and a blue shirt had tried to access the school, but this was later corrected by the board.

She added that while on her way to the school to see if she would be allowed to collect her daughter, she saw the K-9 unit and members of the tactical team.

Search helicopters were in the area and police said the male is described as black, with jeans and a blue shirt.

The YRP Twitter account at about 4:45 p.m. said the one outstanding suspect was believed to have fled the area.

A parent of a student at the school, Wilfred Yu, said the scene outside Wilfrid Laurier before the hold and secure order was finally lifted at around 4:30 p.m. was chaotic.

"100+ parents outside waiting, 2 policemen, vice principal out here and not allowed to go back in," he wrote. "Helicopter circling and police in almost every corner in the area. K-9 units just arrived."

A representative from board corrected an assertion by a student that the suspect had gained access to the school or had tried.

The representative also corrected the use of the word "lockdown" to describe the incident, calling the what occurred a "hold and secure".

"A hold and secure happens when there is a police presence in the area and the doors of the school are locked, no one is allowed in or out," said Licinio Miguelo. "A lockdown occurs when there is an intruder in the school."

— With files from Amanda Persico

luvski

昨天收音机也讲这个事儿了。

Bingster

Anybody heard any updates on this?