Parents in the small northern Alberta town of Sexsmith are speaking out about what they call a serious breakdown in school communication—one that left them in the dark about a firearm threat until days after RCMP had already moved in.
On June 4, RCMP received a report that a student at Sexsmith Secondary School had made threats involving a gun. The next day, police arrested a 13-year-old boy and seized a firearm from his home. But parents say the school district's response left them scrambling for answers and questioning whether their children were ever in real danger.
The Information Gap
Bobby Nicholl, whose son attends the Grade 7-12 school, said he had no idea about the severity of the threat when he dropped his child off on Friday morning. "We went up and dropped the kids off at the school, and we noticed there was an RCMP pickup there. Nothing really was out of the ordinary," Nicholl said. "I feel as though we should have been told as parents beforehand that there's potentially a dangerous situation and give the parents the choice to allow their children to go into the school or not."
Parent Chrystal Widsten learned about the incident through her daughter's text messages and didn't understand the full scope until RCMP released details on Monday—three days later. "I was flabbergasted and shocked that a threat of this severity happened in our little town and we knew nothing about it," she said.
What the School Actually Told Parents
Peace Wapiti Public School Division sent an email to parents on June 5 stating only that they were "aware of a potential safety concern" and were working with law enforcement. The vague message offered no specifics and assured families there was "no imminent risk to the safety of our students, staff, or school community."
According to Alberta RCMP Cpl. Matthew Howell, investigators conducted student interviews and determined the threat was credible enough to warrant an arrest and firearm seizure. The teen was charged with uttering threats.
It wasn't until Tuesday—four days after the initial complaint—that the school division released a second letter, which explained they would be locking exterior doors during school hours for the remainder of the academic year as a "proactive, highly cautious approach."
Parents Want Better Protocols
Nicholl and Widsten say the delayed communication left families unable to make informed decisions about their children's safety. Nicholl criticized the school's handling, saying more transparent explanation should have been provided to parents upfront.
The school division declined WestNet News's request for comment and instead pointed to its Tuesday letter as its official response. The district maintained that "at no time was there an imminent threat to the safety of our students or staff."
Sexsmith is a small community located about 465 kilometres northwest of Edmonton, near Grande Prairie. The incident has sparked conversations among residents about school safety protocols and parent communication—discussions that many say are long overdue.
This story is based on reporting from CBC Edmonton.