REGINA — Regina Police Service responded to three separate calls involving reports of firearms on Thursday, with two of the incidents later determined to involve lighters designed to resemble guns.
The first call came in at about 10 a.m., when multiple callers reported an adult man walking near Arcola Avenue and Winnipeg Street carrying what appeared to be a long gun.
Officers located the man in a park in the 1700 block of 11th Avenue, where police seized a rifle-style pellet gun.
A 23-year-old Regina man has been charged with possession of a weapon. He is scheduled to make his first court appearance June 24 in Regina Provincial Court.
At about noon, police responded to a report of a weapons offence at a business in the 4200 block of East Buckingham Drive after receiving information that an adult man had been seen with a firearm.
Officers, including members of the Tactical Response Team, responded and quickly took the suspect into custody without incident.
Police said officers located three knives and a lighter designed to resemble a firearm during a search following the arrest.
As a precaution, a nearby school was briefly placed into secure-the-building mode while officers responded. The measure was lifted shortly afterward.
A 33-year-old Regina man has been charged with possession of a weapon and failing to comply with a probation order. He is also scheduled to appear in Regina Provincial Court on June 24.
At roughly the same time, police received another report involving a man and woman sitting outside in the 3500 block of Dewdney Avenue. The man was reported to be holding a firearm.
Officers arrived and took both individuals into custody without incident.
Police located a lighter designed to resemble a handgun, along with a bag containing shotgun ammunition.
The woman was released without charges. A 19-year-old male was charged with failing to comply with a disposition order. He is scheduled to appear in Regina Provincial Court on June 26.
Deputy Chief of Police Laurel Marshall said firearm-related calls require significant police resources and heightened safety precautions.
“Any time officers are dispatched to a report of a firearm, additional safety measures and responses must be considered,” Marshall said. “All calls must be treated as though the firearms are real, even if they turn out to be imitation.”
Police noted the RPS created Tactical Support teams in 2024, assigning two full-time SWAT team members to each shift rather than calling them out only when incidents occur.
