Police say a\u00a0man is in custody after shots were fired and a Molotov cocktail was thrown from the second floor of Edmonton’s city hall Tuesday morning.<\/p>\n
Officers arrived at the scene around 10:30 a.m. after a public committee meeting was interrupted by the sound of gunshots.<\/p>\n
In a statement 90 minutes later, Edmonton police confirmed that their investigation of the shooting continues and no injuries have been reported.<\/p>\n
One person was arrested, police said.\u00a0\u00a0An officer told reporters at the scene that a man remains in custody.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Police spokesperson\u00a0\u00a0Cheryl Voordenhout\u00a0said the\u00a0Molotov cocktail was thrown from the second floor to the first floor, in the building’s main atrium \u2014 a three-storey\u00a0lobby space featuring\u00a0a series of open balconies overlooking the ground floor.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As of Tuesday afternoon, officers, including police in tactical gear, remained at the scene. Roads around city hall\u00a0are closed.<\/p>\n
Police said officers would be\u00a0“doing a sweep of city hall.” People have been\u00a0asked to avoid the area.<\/p>\n
At the time of the incident, a\u00a0CBC reporter was at a committee meeting in the main floor River Valley Room.<\/p>\n
The reporter heard three loud bangs from the building’s atrium.<\/p>\n
Mayor Amarjeet Sohi was speaking\u00a0when discussions were interrupted by the\u00a0commotion outside the room.<\/p>\n
The mayor, city councillors\u00a0and staff at the meeting were temporarily locked in the\u00a0room.\u00a0The building’s fire alarm sounded soon after.<\/p>\n
Ward Dene Coun. Aaron Paquette\u00a0was in the room when the incident began.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“Council\u00a0was having a meeting today on emergency management, of all things, and we heard some very loud bangs. The initial\u00a0thought was maybe a pallet was falling because you wouldn’t expect something that to be happening,”\u00a0Paquette said in an interview outside city hall.<\/p>\n
“But then security came in and said, ‘You know, these are actual shots fired\u00a0and we need to follow the emergency procedures at this point.’ So that’s what we all did.”<\/p>\n
Paquette\u00a0said he and his fellow councillors focused on ensuring everyone was safe. He said everyone kept a “cool head” during\u00a0the evacuation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As of 11 a.m. the building remained under evacuation and police officers in tactical gear could be seen inside.\u00a0Fire trucks and ambulances were also at the scene.<\/p>\n
Police tape has now been put up\u00a0in 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.<\/p>\n