Manitoba Teen Charged With Conspiracy to Commit Murder in Alleged School Attack Plot

Manitoba RCMP have filed conspiracy to commit murder charges against a 14-year-old boy who was previously accused by police of plotting an attack at his school in March.

The teen was originally arrested on March 16 by Manitoba RCMP and charged with uttering threats to harm students at Rivers Collegiate, a rural Grade 7 to 12 school in Rivers, Man. Investigators with RCMP Major Crime Services re-arrested the youth on May 13 while he was in custody at the Manitoba Youth Centre. 

The youth is now facing several new charges including conspiracy to commit murder and counselling the offence of murder, according to an RCMP press release. He has also been charged with two counts of uttering threats.

The new charges were laid after further investigation into the original incident, the RCMP said in its May 14 press release.

“RCMP seized the phone and electronic devices of the 14-year-old Rivers youth,” police said. “A subsequent search warrant of two properties associated to the youth resulted in the seizure of additional electronic devices and other items, including two firearms owned by a relative.”

The RCMP say the investigation connected a 14-year-old boy and a 15-year-old girl from Bridgewater, Nova Scotia. Investigators allege the pair met online in late February and were planning simultaneous attacks at Rivers Collegiate as well as the Parkview Education Centre in Bridgewater.

The RCMP are alleging that the male suspect was “actively discussing and planning to harm other students” at his school.

The female suspect has also been arrested and charged. She faces charges of conspiracy to commit murder and uttering threats.

The names of the suspects cannot be disclosed in accordance with the stipulations of the Youth Criminal Justice Act. 

The male suspect makes his next court appearance on June 4.

None of the charges against either of the teenagers have been tested in court. 

Rivers Collegiate has fewer than 150 students and is located in a community of fewer than 1,000 people more than 200 kilometres west of Winnipeg. 

Parkview Education Centre is a senior high school in Bridgewater, a town that has nearly 9,000 residents and is situated around one hour from Halifax. The school has approximately 900 students in Grades 10 to 12 and serves students from multiple local feeder schools.