‘Heavily armed’ man arrested after shots fired, Molotov cocktail thrown in Edmonton city hall

Police say a man is in custody after shots were fired and a Molotov cocktail was thrown from the second floor of Edmonton's city hall Tuesday morning.

Officers arrived at the scene around 10:30 a.m. after a public committee meeting was interrupted by the sound of gunshots.

In a statement 90 minutes later, Edmonton police confirmed that their investigation of the shooting continues and no injuries have been reported.

One person was arrested, police said. An officer told reporters at the scene that a man remains in custody.

Edmonton police Chief Dale McFee is scheduled to provide an update on the incident at 4 p.m. MT.

Police spokesperson Cheryl Voordenhout said the Molotov cocktail was thrown from the second floor to the first floor, in the building's main atrium — a three-storey lobby space featuring a series of open balconies overlooking the ground floor.

As of Tuesday afternoon, officers, including police in tactical gear, remained at the scene. Roads around city hall are closed.

Police said officers would be "doing a sweep of city hall." People have been asked to avoid the area.

At the time of the incident, a CBC reporter was at a committee meeting in the main floor River Valley Room.

The reporter heard three loud bangs from the building's atrium.

Mayor Amarjeet Sohi was speaking when discussions were interrupted by the commotion outside the room.

The mayor, city councillors and staff at the meeting were temporarily locked in the room. The building's fire alarm sounded soon after.

'Very loud bangs'

Ward Dene Coun. Aaron Paquette was in the room when the incident began.

"Council was having a meeting today on emergency management, of all things, and we heard some very loud bangs. The initial thought was maybe a pallet was falling because you wouldn't expect something like that to be happening," Paquette said in an interview outside city hall.

"But then security came in and said, 'You know, these are actual shots fired and we need to follow the emergency procedures at this point.' So that's what we all did."

Paquette said he and his fellow councillors focused on ensuring everyone was safe. He said everyone kept a "cool head" during the evacuation.

As of 11 a.m. the building remained under evacuation and police officers in tactical gear could be seen inside. Fire trucks and ambulances were also at the scene.

Police tape has now been put up in front of the main entrance to the building. After 11 a.m. Tuesday, security guards were stationed in Churchill Square, just south of the building.