Two students were arrested after showing up at their Cranbrook middle school with toy guns, leading to a lockdown Thursday afternoon.
RCMP say they responded to Laurie Middle School around 1 p.m. after they were advised that a student was carrying what looked like a gun through the school hallway.
Officers quickly “flooded” the area looking for the youth as the school was immediately locked down, RCMP said in a statement.
Police eventually got the names of two youth and took them into custody. An airsoft rifle and a cap gun were both seized from the students.
The Southeast Kootenay School District said in a statement the situation was “quickly diffused” thanks to “the school’s quick response and the involvement of the RCMP.”
The school was moved out of lockdown roughly an hour-and-a-half later. School dismissal and bus pickups proceeded as normal at the end of the school day, the district said.
Police said the students were released to their parents, and RCMP held a meeting with staff and students explaining why the school was locked down.
“The staff and students at Laurie Middle School did an amazing job of ensuring the safety of all people inside the building,” Cranbrook RCMP spokesperson Const. Katie Forgeron said in a statement. “We are thankful that this situation ended quickly with no injuries.”
Forgeron said it was too soon to say if the students will face charges or alternative disciplinary measures. The investigation is ongoing, she added.