Lockdown suspect at St. Thérèse University was a minor and had a toy gun

Police say the suspect was cooperative and no firearms were involved.

The arrested Saint-Therese resident is a minor. According to police, he never attended school.

He is said to have “wandered through the streets of the college’s suburbs with what could be mistaken for a long gun,” but it was actually a “toy gun,” the press release said.

A police operation was launched on Friday near Collège Lionel Gruul due to a potentially armed individual. University students and staff trapped him in the building for nearly four hours. No one was injured.

Police urge the public to “purchase, transport, and handle toys that may be considered weapons should always be done in a safe manner in public places.”