Lockdown at CHEO lifted after man enters emergency department with replica firearm

A police vehicle in front of CHEO after a lockdown was called off on March 22, 2025. (Joshua Marano/CTV News Ottawa)

The Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) was briefly put on lockdown Saturday afternoon after a man entered its emergency department with a replica firearm.

The Ottawa Police Service says in an email it responded to reports of a man with a firearm inside the hospital at 4:57 p.m.

CHEO confirmed in an emailed statement that a code silver was called to ensure the safety of patients and staff. The lockdown has since been lifted.

Officers arrived and arrested a man a short distance from the hospital. He is currently being held in custody. The charges were not provided.

Police say the weapon was determined to be a fake. No injuries were reported.

“We commend our staff for their professional and calm response during this disturbing incident. We are also grateful for the assistance of Ottawa Police who secured the scene and took the individual into custody,” the hospital says.

A shelter-in-place was in effect at the University of Ottawa’s Roger Guindon Hall next to CHEO at 5:17 p.m. in response to a “violent threat” on campus. The alert was called off at 5:32 p.m.

CHEO is now operating normally and cooperating with police, the hospital says.

“I was a bit surprised,” said Adrien Brossier, who was in the hospital at the time of the lockdown.

“Not something you’re expecting to hear, especially in Canada. We saw a lot of police cars outside, so I trusted that everything was going to be resolved fairly quickly.”

Ottawa police say there is no threat to public safety. An investigation is ongoing.