BLACK RIVER, St Elizabeth — On a day celebrated as Peace Day in schools, men reportedly disrupted activities at Black River High School following an altercation between two students mid-morning Tuesday.

It was first reported by people in the area that armed men stormed the school compound after the students, both boys from the same community, were involved in a dispute. Other media reported that the men hurled stones after being barred from entering the compound. The disturbance reportedly resulted in students and staff scampering for safety.

However head of the St Elizabeth police, Deputy Superintendent Coleridge Minto on Tuesday afternoon said the police had no official report of any men armed with guns being on the school compound.

“The police has no official report of any gun being on the compound, and in speaking with the principal he also indicated that he has no report of this nature. Our school resource officers of the Community, Safety and Security team will continue to work with our schools in the parish and will continue to provide support to the schools,” added Minto.

“The information we have is that, sometime after 10:30, some students were involved in a dispute; as a result of [it] one of the boys reportedly left the school and later returned with some men,” he said.

“The police visited the school, however none of these men who reportedly came on the compound were seen. I also spoke with the principal who confirmed that the boys involved in the incident are known and that the school was dealing with that matter,” he said.

Sources told the Observer that the men are from New Town, a community close to Black River, where the students are also said to be from.

Efforts by the Jamaica Observer to speak with officials at Black River High were unsuccessful.