A weapons complaint sent Ross Sheppard High School in west Edmonton into lockdown Friday afternoon. It turned out to involve an imitation firearm.
Edmonton police were called to the school at about 12:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 2.
Police cruisers surrounded the building. Inside, an announcement told students and staff the school was in lockdown, and to stay away from doors and windows.
Officers found the imitation firearm, and lifted the lockdown at about 2:30 p.m.
No one was hurt, and no one was arrested.
'People, including police, can't tell the difference'
By the time police knew the weapon wasn't real, the full response was already underway. From a distance, there's often no way to tell.
"Imitation guns can appear very real, and people, including police, can't tell the difference," an Edmonton Police Service spokesperson said.
Police haven't said who had the imitation firearm, or how it ended up at the school.
What parents were told
Parents got an emergency alert from Edmonton Public Schools while the lockdown was underway.
"Your child is safe. Everyone is quiet and staying out of sight," the message read.
The division sends emergency alerts through its notification system, SchoolMessenger. It says families will also get a letter about Friday's lockdown.
What a lockdown means at Edmonton Public Schools
Edmonton Public Schools has a clear rule for when a school locks down.
Under division policy, a lockdown is used when there is an imminent threat inside the building.
Every school has to have its own emergency plan, and run at least two lockdown drills each school year, including one that staff and students don't know is coming.
At Ross Sheppard, police had a report of a weapon in the school. Until officers found it and confirmed no one was in danger, the school stayed locked down.
What should parents do during a school lockdown?
A lockdown alert from your child's school is frightening, especially in the first few minutes, when there's little information.
Follow official updates. Rely on the school, the division and police, not posts circulating online. Early rumours are often wrong.
Keep your contact information current. Make sure the school has your right phone number and email, so emergency alerts reach you.
Don't head to the school unless authorities tell you to. Police may need the roads and the area around the building, and students won't be released while a lockdown is still on.
Follow the pickup instructions. Once it's over, the school will tell families how and when students will be released.
Edmonton Public Schools' emergency policy says schools should make every effort to give students, parents and staff prompt and accurate information during an emergency.
Why a fake gun brings a real police response
When someone reports a gun, police have to treat it as real until they know otherwise.
The Edmonton Police Service runs a public awareness campaign on this, called Fake Gun, Real Danger. It warns that many imitation firearms are detailed enough to be impossible to tell apart from real ones.
Imitation guns can include:
Airsoft guns.
BB and pellet guns.
Replicas and prop guns.
Paintball guns.
Realistic toy guns.
EPS's advice is not to carry or show them in public, because bystanders and police may think they're real.
"Police can't tell if your gun is real or fake," the campaign says.
If your teenager owns an airsoft or replica gun, it's worth a talk about why it should never come to school.
Sources
Edmonton Police Service, statement, October 2, 2026
Fake Gun, Real Danger, Edmonton Police Service
DBCD.AR Lockdowns and Lockdown Drill Procedures, Edmonton Public Schools
Scene details and the parent alert as reported by CTV News Edmonton.
Comments
Conversation