A 16-year-old from Manning faces charges of uttering threats after RCMP investigated a report that a student planned to shoot classmates on the first day of school.
Manning RCMP said they received the report on Aug. 19. Officers began investigating right away, took statements and identified a suspect. On Tuesday they searched a home in the Manning area and seized seven firearms.
RCMP said the teen will be charged with uttering threats, pending approval from the Crown. Police did not release the suspects name or gender. Under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, young people charged with crimes cannot be named.
“We want the public to know that we take every threat to our children’s safety seriously,” said Sgt. Gavin Ool, detachment commander of the Manning RCMP. “We immediately looped in our partners at the school as well as the Peace River School Division in order to assist us in the investigation as well as review security measures. 
Ool asked people to report any threats to children.
“We encourage members of the public to always report any threats to our children and allow us to fully investigate and prevent these disasters from happening,” he said.
The Peace River School Division confirmed the students who were threatened attends Manning Aurora Composite School, a K-12 school. The division said a risk assessment found students can safely return Sept. 1. Social workers, police and other support staff will be at the school that day.
“The safety and wellbeing of our students and staff will always remain an unwavering priority for the Peace River School Division,” said superintendent Dr. Jeff Thompson.
Ool asked people to report any threats to children.
“We encourage members of the public to always report any threats to our children and allow us to fully investigate and prevent these disasters from happening,” he said.
Manning is a town of about 1,125 people, roughly 75 kilometres north of Peace River. It follows other school threats reported in the same area of Alberta this year. In June, another teen was charged over a threat at a school in Sexsmith, approximately 240 km south of Manning.
By Brook Wagner, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Original Published on Aug 26, 2026 at 22:26

This item reprinted with permission from   Medicine Hat News   Medicine Hat, Alberta


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