Manitoba teen accused of planning school attack denied bail

14-year-old from Rivers had asked judge to be released to a responsible person

Students are seen entering a building with the words "Rivers Collegiate Institute" and "Home of the Rams" — A teen accused of planning an attack on Rivers Collegiate in southwestern Manitoba was denied bail Tuesday. (Rudi Pawlychyn/CBC)

A provincial court judge in Brandon has denied bail for a Rivers, Man., teen accused of planning a school attack.

The 14-year-old, who has been in custody since RCMP arrested him on March 16, made his court appearance via video from the Manitoba Youth Centre in Winnipeg on Tuesday.

He faces charges of conspiracy to commit murder, counselling the offence of murder and two counts of uttering threats.

Police allege the teen plotted an attack on Rivers Collegiate, a Grade 7-12 school with fewer than 150 students.

Rivers, a community in southwestern Manitoba with fewer than 1,000 residents, is about 40 kilometres northwest of Brandon.

The teen asked Judge Shauna Hewitt-Michta earlier this month to be released and placed in the care of a responsible person.

A provision in the Youth Criminal Justice Act allows for such a release if certain conditions are met and a judge approves.

Crown wants adult sentence for Manitoba youth accused of plotting school attack

Hewitt-Michta announced her decision to deny bail after reading from her report for about 25 minutes.

Police allege the boy and a 15-year-old in Bridgewater, N.S., planned to simultaneously attack their schools. The latter was Park View Education Centre in Nova Scotia.

Conversations between two teens started in mid-February, police allege, with a Manitoba teen “actively discussing and planning to harm other students at Rivers Collegiate.”

Interpol and the FBI tipped off Bridgewater police about online communications planning school attacks.

RCMP arrested the Rivers teen on a bus on the way to school. Police searched two properties associated with the boy, seizing electronic devices and two firearms owned by a relative.

Prosecutors say they plan to seek an adult sentence for the youth if he is convicted.

His case is scheduled to return to court on Sept. 15. — Michele McDougall

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