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Reports of fire at college days after threat prompts lockdown

Author
NZ Herald ,
Publish Date
Fri, 14 Mar 2025, 4:55pm

Reports of fire at college days after threat prompts lockdown

Author
NZ Herald ,
Publish Date
Fri, 14 Mar 2025, 4:55pm

Police have responded to reports of fires at an  high school just days after a  before children were sent home.

 said they responded to a report of two small fires at at around 11.45am today.

鈥淚nvestigations are in the early stages and we are continuing to look into the circumstances surrounding the fires. However, they are not thought to be linked to any events earlier this week,鈥 a spokesperson told the Herald.

Police and  crews will stay at the school as they complete an examination of the scene.

Earlier this week, police said  resulting in Waiuku College going into lockdown before 9am Wednesday. The email was also forwarded to numerous organisations and individuals, including media outlets and Parliament.

Waiuku College principal Stuart Kelly would not comment on the nature of the threat, but said the school, alongside police and the Ministry of Education, deemed it 鈥渃redible enough鈥 to put the school in lockdown.

Yesterday, a man and woman were taken into custody after police executed a search warrant at a M膩ngere East address as part of the investigation into the incident.

The 20-year-old man was charged with a firearms offence in relation to a firearm located at a different property.

He was expected to appear in the Manukau District Court today charged with unlawful possession of a firearm. Police said further charges are likely to be laid as a result of the search warrant.

Waiuku College students were forced to shelter in a 鈥渟afe and secure area鈥 on Wednesday morning as police swept the school for potential dangers, Kelly said.

鈥淭he police then swept the remainder of the school and we received written confirmation that it was safe to return the students and in looking after the students鈥 health and wellbeing ... [we] made the decision to send the kids home,鈥 Kelly said.

Rutherford College principal Gary Moore said his school also received a threat on Wednesday and immediately contacted police and the ministry.

Moore said the school did not need to close or go into lockdown because of a police presence and their efforts, including sniffer dogs.

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