Teen accused of threatening Halifax high school pleads guilty to gun-related offence

A teenage boy accused of making threats against a Halifax high school has pleaded guilty to one of the dozens of charges he's facing.

The 16-year-old was arrested at his home on the morning of April 23 after police received a tip from a suicide hotline operator alleging the teen said he was going to shoot up Citadel High and then take his own life.

The teen appeared in youth justice court in Halifax on Monday and entered a guilty plea to a charge of unlawfully handling ammunition. He is scheduled to be sentenced in September.

The boy, whose identity is protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, is facing 32 other charges, including other gun-related offences and threats against other students and racialized communities.  

Many of the charges relate to rifles, shotguns and different airguns found at the teen's home. He is also charged with wilfully promoting hatred against Black and Jewish communities over the last year by creating online hate groups, according to court documents. 

He is expected to be back in court to enter a plea for those remaining charges next month. 

Psychological assessment ordered

The teenager, who was denied bail at a hearing in May, has remained in custody since he was arrested more than seven weeks ago. 

On Monday, Judge Bronwyn Duffy ordered the teen to undergo a psychological assessment at the request of his lawyer. 

The assessment is expected to take several weeks but be complete before the teen is sentenced in September.