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A Markham high school was evacuated on Tuesday morning following a threatening phone call that reportedly originated from Los Angeles for the second time this year.

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York Regional Police were called to Pierre Elliott Trudeau High School near Bur Oak Ave. and Kennedy Rd. in the early morning after reports of a swatting call. Swatting is when a false emergency report is made to police to trigger a major response from law enforcement — such as a bomb threat or active-shooter situation.

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Charges for swatting (a public mischief offence) can result in fines, probation or jail time of up to five years.

The high school was placed in a lockdown and officers investigated the school and determined there was no public safety threat. They told CP24 that the school received another threatening call from Los Angeles in early March, but wouldn’t say more.

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Students were moved to Beckett Farm Public School at 78 Beckett Ave., though York police said at the time that the students would be returned to the school shortly afterward.

York Regional Police said they are working with York Region District School Board and were remaining at the school as a precaution as they investigated the incident.

The call followed an incident right after the March Break, when threats were called in to 11 Toronto District School Board high schools on the first day students returned from the weeklong break, starting with Marc Garneau Collegiate Institute in the early morning.

Toronto Police deemed the threats not to be credible after an investigation. The schools were allegedly contacted by voicemail by the same person, police said.

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