UPDATED: Suspect in custody after reports of person with gun near Balfour, Miller schools

REGINA – Regina police say a 15-year-old boy has been taken into custody following a tense situation at Regina’s Balfour Collegiate.

According to Regina Police superintendent Corey Zaharuk, the school was locked down at approximately 3:30 p.m. Friday afternoon following a report of a young person with a weapon in the vicinity.

There is no indication that the suspect actually entered the building, that the weapon was used, or was threatened to be used.

Neighbouring Miller Comprehensive was put in ‘secure building mode,’ which means the inside of the school is functioning as normal, but no one was allowed in or out of the building. A spokesperson said there were 100 kids in the library and 30 in the gym.

At approximately 6:00 p.m. police said that a suspect had been located and taken into custody in the 1500 block of Montague Street. Nine people, including two students and seven staff, were safely escorted from Balfour.

“When the SWAT team entered the building, their goal is and was the safety of the people,” explained Zaharuk.  “We knew where the people in the building they had locked themselves into, so our goal was to go to that area first and extract those people as safely as possible.”

A number of parents said it was a stressful day, as they had been texting with their kids inside the schools to learn about their wellbeing.

The teen faces one charge of carrying a concealed weapon and one charge of breaching a conditional discharge order. He’ll appear in court on Monday morning