Two youths charged after weapons incident at Kitchener high school
Two young people have been arrested after a youth suffered minor knife injuries at Forest Heights Collegiate Institute.
The Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS) says officers were called to the school around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, but the fight occurred earlier in the day.
Investigators say several youths went to the high school and began pursuing another young person.
“The youth was able to get away and during the interaction another youth tried to step in and was assaulted by the group of youths,” WRPS Const. André Johnson said.
At this point in the investigation, police aren’t sure if the youths involved were students at the school.
Johnson said the incident is part of a concerning trend involving weapons.
“It actually extends beyond the youth,” he said. “We are seeing a lot of incidents of late with knives. It’s still a little bit early in terms of making any inferences of trends but it is quite concerning. It is something investigators are looking at and our crime analysts to learn what exactly is occurring and how we can put a stop to it.”
In the Forest Heights incident, a male and a female youth have been charged with assault with a weapon for a dangerous purpose. Investigators are still trying to identify other people who may have been involved in the incident. Anyone with information or footage of what happened is urged to contact police.
“We want to address that as fast as we can, these stabbings are concerning because they can cause life-altering injuries or even death,” said Supt. Eugene Fenton with the WRPS.
Fenton said the weapon is being used in a number of incidents, like threats, assaults and robberies.
“They are certainly more accessible than a firearm,” said Fenton.
“We're seeing incidents where they are known to each other and they're over disputes or retaliation or revenge from past disputes that are carrying on and spilling over to using extreme level of weapons,” he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada sends military aircraft into Haiti's skies as gang violence escalates
Canada has sent one of its military planes to Haiti to help the country cope with escalating violence. A joint statement today from National Defence Minister Anita Anand and Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly says Canada has deployed a CP-140 Aurora aircraft to help 'disrupt the activities of gangs' in Haiti.

New study highlights increasing prevalence of muscle dysmorphia among Canadian boys, young men
Canadian researchers are drawing attention to the increasing prevalence of 'a pathological pursuit of muscularity' among Canadian boys and young men, with a new study that found one in four were at risk of developing what's known as muscle dysmorphia.
Five things to know about upcoming health-care talks between Trudeau, premiers
On Tuesday in Ottawa, Canada's 13 premiers and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will sit around the same table in person for the first time since COVID-19 hoping to find a path toward a new long-term health-care funding deal.
China has reasons to keep cool after U.S. downs suspected spy balloon
China may respond to the U.S. shooting down its suspected spy balloon after warning of 'serious repercussions,' but analysts say any move will likely be finely calibrated to keep from worsening ties that both sides have been seeking to repair.
Former Israeli PM: Putin promised not to kill Zelenskyy
A former Israeli prime minister who served briefly as a mediator at the start of Russia's war with Ukraine says he drew a promise from the Russian president not to kill his Ukrainian counterpart.
Canadian hitmakers vie for Grammys alongside some of pop music's biggest stars
Pop superstars Bryan Adams, Michael Buble and Drake could emerge Grammy Awards winners today, but it's the Canadian hitmakers behind the scenes who are chasing some of the top prizes.
Poor oral health could affect the brain later in life: early study
An early study has shown keeping your gums and teeth healthy may have added benefits for your brain health.
Justice minister open to amending bail laws, OPP commissioner says change 'needed now'
Justice Minister and Attorney General David Lametti says he is open to amending bail laws, which have come under increased scrutiny following the shooting death of an Ontario Provincial Police officer.
U.S. downs Chinese balloon, drawing a threat from China
The U.S. military on Saturday shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the Carolina coast after it traversed sensitive military sites across North America. China insisted the flyover was an accident involving a civilian aircraft and threatened repercussions.