Winnipeg police arrested two teens and an adult woman in connection with three of the nearly a dozen threats made to city schools over a two-week span this month.

A 30-year-old woman from Toronto and two teens, ages 13 and 16, face charges of uttering threats in connection with three of the 11 “hoax calls” targeting schools Winnipeg police have investigated this month, Staff Sgt. Shaun Venn said at a Wednesday news conference.

Five of the other incidents are still under investigation, police said.

“None of these specific threats were credible, [but] the impact that they’ve had … is very real, and the consequences for those responsible even more so,” Venn said.

“It’s not a joke. It’s not funny. They are very serious criminal offences.”

Despite the fact that none of the incidents reported between Feb. 3 and 19 proved to be legitimate threats, Venn said police “don’t have the luxury of assuming it’s a prank.”

‘It’s not a joke’

The 30-year-old woman was arrested and released from police custody. She faces two charges of uttering threats in connection with threats to a school on Hastings Boulevard, according to a Winnipeg police news release.

The 16-year-old was arrested and is facing three charges of uttering threats in connection with threats to a school on Scotia Street. They have been released on a promise to appear in court.

The 13-year-old was also released from custody and is facing a single charge of uttering threats for threats made to a school on Flora Avenue.

Police also say a 10-year-old was diverted to the Turnabout program in connection with a threat to a school on Church. That program supports kids under 12 years old who have had run-ins with the law.

Police also investigated threats to schools on Bournais Drive and Southglen Boulevard, but no charges were laid in connection with those incidents.

Investigations are ongoing into threats made to schools on Selkirk Avenue, Jefferson Avenue, Cottonwood Road, Chalmers Avenue and Church Avenue.

Police put out a social media video on Tuesday confirming the department had received reports about several threats to schools recently.

The latest reported instance of a threat led Windsor Park Collegiate to cancel classes today. The division told families a threat to the school last week specifically made reference to Feb. 25.

It’s the most recent closure over a threat in February, a month that also saw one of the deadliest mass shootings in Canadian history in B.C. Eight people died in the Feb. 10 shooting in Tumbler Ridge, including multiple children and an educator.

On Feb. 17, hundreds of students didn’t show up for class at Garden City Collegiate over a shooting threat days earlier, despite police finding the threat to be unfounded.

A shooting threat posted on Facebook forced St. John’s High School to cancel classes on Feb. 9, and Bernie Wolfe School was evacuated on Feb. 4 after a threat.

Staff Sgt. Venn implored young people to take these threats seriously.

“It’s not a joke. It’s not funny,” said Venn, calling the incidents “very serious criminal offences.”

“Please sit down with your children … [and] explain the gravity of these actions. There are real-life consequences for those who choose to participate or engage in this type of behaviour.”