Wave of school threats in Cobourg leave parents on edge amid suspected swatting

Subhead:A series of school threats has concerned parents questioning safety protocols and how official communication is handled during fast-moving and high-stakes incidents.# What was once coined “Ontario’s Feel Good Town” has been shaken by a series of school threats over the past week. Breaking news - a hold and secure has just been lifted at St Mary High School in Cobourg. It’s the third threat incident since last Monday at the school. Will have more on this at Today’s Northumberland pic.twitter.com/04gEmYMF6r — Today's Northumberland (@NT_pfisher) April 20, 2026 St. Mary’s Catholic Secondary School has seen police respond to three separate incidents between April 13 and today, April 20. The Cobourg Police Service (CPS) has an update on today’s situation that mirrors previous updates, namely that they suspect these calls to be a string of “swatting” incidents. That is, hoax emergency calls intended to trigger a large police response. “Police believe this incident to be an instance of swatting. CPS takes all reports of threats or potential dangers to community safety seriously and responds accordingly to ensure everyone's safety,” a statement from the service reads. Students and parents have since shared sensitive video footage showing police officers with firearms outside the school, including what looks to be the discharge of a non-lethal round as students were being released from the hold and secure. Bomb threat forces evacuation at Catholic high school in Cobourg, Ont. The threat at St. Mary’s Catholic Secondary School that triggered a lockdown and then evacuation raises major concerns over school safety protocols and delayed parent notification. Another day, another… pic.twitter.com/Ot8dDakAZw — Rebel News Canada (@RebelNews_CA) April 14, 2026

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