Police have arrested a 17-year-old suspect believed to be responsible for a lockdown at a Langley high school Wednesday, but they haven't confirmed if he was carrying a gun.
Students at Brookswood Secondary School were kept inside for about an hour after a teenager showed up on the grounds holding what some witnesses worried was a firearm.
Though the RCMP managed to identify a young suspect and take him into custody, they did not find a gun on him.
"The firearm has not been recovered at this time and there are multiple witnesses and involved parties still to be interviewed. The possibility the firearm was a replica is being investigated," the Langley detachment said in a news release.
The suspect has since been released on a number of conditions.
Police believe the teenager was in a confrontation with a Brookswood student that involved pepper spray earlier in the day, then showed up at the school potentially armed with a gun.
Langley RCMP urged people not to spread "rumours and conjecture" during such incidents because they don't help law enforcement, and can exacerbate an already stressful situation for students' families.
"The rumours served to hinder the investigation and escalated the anxiety suffered by the parents waiting for their children," the detachment said.
The RCMP is continuing to investigate, and has not decided whether charges will be recommended.
