Seven schools in Fredericton and Moncton were closed Tuesday as police investigated alleged threats, officials said, prompting evacuations, bus rerouting and temporary relocation of students while investigators worked to determine whether each building was safe.
The Fredericton Police Force, the RCMP in Moncton and the Anglophone West School District reported the coordinated response after unspecified threat reports prompted immediate security actions at multiple school sites. In Moncton, Randolph J. MacLean, superintendent of the Anglophone East School District, said a school was closed following the receipt of a concerning message and that police redirected buses to designated evacuation locations. In Fredericton, police ordered evacuations at five schools and moved students to several receiving sites as part of the precautionary response.
By 10:40 a.m., the Fredericton Police Force reported that all five evacuated schools had been deemed safe, but the buildings remained closed for the day. Students from the evacuated sites were sent to Bliss Carman Middle School, Gibson-Neill Memorial Elementary and other locations established as temporary reception points while authorities completed their checks. The movement of students and buses was conducted under police direction as investigators assessed the situations at each campus.
School districts urged families to comply with safety protocols and to avoid overwhelming emergency lines. All affected schools were to remain closed for the rest of the day, and parents and caregivers were asked to stay away from the campuses while officials continued their work. District staff contacted every family with children in Grade 6 or younger to confirm pickup arrangements at Lewisville Church, part of the logistical response to ensure younger students were reunited with guardians in a controlled setting.
Anglophone West characterized the incidents as an "emergency situation" and said investigators were continuing to probe the reports. It remained unclear whether Arnold H. McLeod School and Assiniboine Avenue Elementary School were now considered safe, according to the district, leaving the status of those specific buildings unresolved as of the latest updates. Authorities did not release additional detail about the nature of the threats or whether any suspects had been identified.
The closures affected daily school operations, transportation routes and family plans across both communities as officials prioritized student and staff safety. Police and school officials coordinated evacuations, designated reception centres and parent pickup procedures while conducting their inquiries. The scope of the investigation and the number of schools involved prompted multiple agencies to respond and to issue instructions intended to limit congestion at emergency lines and on-site access.
Investigations were ongoing at the time of the latest reports, and school districts maintained that the precautionary closures would last through the end of the school day. Parents and community members were advised to await further information from police and district officials about when campuses would reopen and whether additional actions would be required.