Robbery leads Oakville schools to keep students inside

(Updated) A little extra anxiety added to day one for students at four Oakville schools.

Students at Abbey Park High, Heritage Glen Public, Saint Ignatius of Loyola Secondary and Pilgrim Wood Public schools were told to remain in their classrooms, after an armed robbery at the Pharmasave at Upper Middle and Third Line.

A grade 9 student at Abbey Park who identified himself only as Austin told CHCH News “we were sitting in the back, near the bleachers area. Then the principal storms in and says ‘I need everyone’s attention’, everyone starts freaking out a bit, not too much though, and then he says that there’s been an incident outside, not involving us and we have to stay in the gym.”

Teacher Marilyn Jakubus: “there were people who were already on duty in the halls, they’d signed up for hall duty so they just made sure that nobody was entering or leaving.”

Maher Rizkamma, pharmacist/owner of the Pharmasave Fairway Pharmacy thought the gun was a toy at first. But then, “I was frightened of course and I give him what he asked for. And I was surprised that he asked for two things, when I gave him percocet only he just ran.”

The suspect got only a bottle and a half of percocet. Rizkamma describes the man as white with fine hair, wearing dark sunglasses. The lower half of his face was covered with a dark cloth or scarf.

The incident lasted 15-20 minutes, while police dogs helped search for the suspect.

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this post incorrectly described the situation as a lockdown. School boards define a lockdown as a potential danger to students on school property; a hold and secure situation is when a potential danger is near school property.