Police in Nanaimo have arrested a 14-year-old boy after an incident involving a replica gun, which led to three Nanaimo-area schools to enter into hold-and-secure protocol.

First responders headed to the scene around noon on Thursday, April 27. Reserve Const. Gary O鈥橞rien, Nanaimo RCMP spokesperson, said the youth is accused of possessing a firearm and pointing the firearm. Wellington Secondary School, Rock City and Departure Bay Eco-School elementary schools were in hold-and-secure due to the situation, he said.

鈥淭he youth was located and arrested without incident at a home near those areas, and the firearm was recovered,鈥� O鈥橞rien told the News Bulletin. 鈥淭he firearm turned out to be a replica rifle 鈥� he鈥檚 in custody, the hold-and-secure has been lifted. We had a number of police officers in the area. A lot of the youths were upset seeing officers with firearms in plainclothes.鈥�

The youth was arrested at a house in the Departure Bay Road-Uplands Drive area at 12:21 p.m.

O鈥橞rien said he couldn鈥檛 comment on whether the youth was a student at one of the schools and it is not known when his first court appearance will be.

The gun was a replica assault rifle, said O鈥橞rien.

Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools has been contacted for comment.

karl.yu@nanaimobulletin.com
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