Hamilton police say Bishop Tonnos Catholic Secondary School in Hamilton was placed on a hold-and-secure order on March 21, 2025. (Photo: Bishop Tonnos Secondary School)
Charges have been laid following a fake report of a gun at an Ontario high school that police say was an attempted cover story for an alleged bear spray attack, police say.
The partial lockdown happened on Friday at Bishop Tonnos Catholic Secondary School in Hamilton’s Ancaster community around 1:30 p.m., the Hamilton Police Service says.
Police said the hold-and-secure order was put in place after police were called about “a person with a weapon” at the school.
But a room-by-room search of the school turned up no firearm and investigators found there was no threat to safety.
Police later located a suspect who was placed under arrest, but investigators say that student was actually the victim of a prior bear spray attack.
Investigators say …