Three students arrested, weapon recovered from high school in Barrhaven

An Ottawa school went into lockdown on Thursday afternoon after reports of a gun.

Police said in a press release that there is a large presence at a high school on Longfields Drive in Barrhaven. An incident prompted emergency responders to St. Mother Teresa High School, where a lockdown and search took place.

Three students were arrested, and a pellet/airsoft gun was recovered. Police said in a release that one student has since been released.

In an email to CityNews, the Ottawa Catholic School Board said that police responded quickly and took control of the situation.

“After a thorough investigation, police confirmed no ongoing threat to student or staff safety and provided the all-clear to lift the lockdown. The school then moved into Secure School status while police completed their response,” the statement reads.

Officials said their presence will be lifted soon, but the investigation will continue. Due to the situation, another school nearby went into lockdown, which has since been lifted.

There are no injuries in the incident.

“We take very seriously any actions that threaten the safety of our community, like using a real, replica, or imitation firearm to commit a crime or intimidate someone,” police said.