Police have a suspect in custody after an incident at a Calgary southwest junior high school.
Officers were called to A.E. Cross School at 3345 37 Street S.W. around 2 p.m. on Thursday.
The situation was resolved two hours later.
Police say a 25-year-old man walked into the school's office.
He allegedly had a knife and took a school secretary hostage.
A 13-year-old boy was also in the office at the time. The boy hid and called his mother on his cell phone.
Negotiators worked with the man and eventually got him to release the secretary in exchange for a bottle of water.
The secretary was not injured; neither was the boy.
Police originally believed the suspect was a former student at the school. The suspect was allegedly disgruntled with the principal who he blames for a sports injury sustained when he attended the junior high. But school officials later confirmed the man had not attended the school.
Students tell CTV News they were told there was a dangerous person in the building and they had to leave.
Kids were in an assembly at the time and were quickly relocated to Glenbrook Elementary School at 4725 33 Avenue S.W.
"Our efforts are now focused on providing support to the school community at A.E. Cross School," says David Stevenson, deputy chief superintendent of schools with the Calgary Board of Education. "Our emergency process worked well and our commitment to student and staff safety remains paramount. As is standard procedure, we are reviewing this situation."
Police say charges are pending.
