A 16-year-old Lethbridge male has been charged after a report of a youth carrying what appeared to be a handgun prompted lockdowns at four southside schools on Tuesday. Police responded to a group of youths on the 300 block of 18 Street South, where one person appeared to have a handgun in his waistband.

As a precaution, St. Francis Jr. High, Ecole St. Mary Elementary School, Catholic Central High School and Lethbridge Collegiate Institute went into lockdown. Police reviewed security footage, identified six teenagers and took them into custody without incident.

The investigation found the 16-year-old had a black, handgun-style water pistol. Officers searched the suspects’ lockers and found no other weapons. The teen was charged with one count of possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, released from custody and scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 9.

Police urged parents and youth not to bring imitation firearms, including airsoft guns, water guns and realistic-looking replicas, into schools or display them in public in a way that could cause concern. Replicas can be indistinguishable from real firearms, police said, and officers treat reports of weapons as real until proven otherwise.

Based on reporting by CTV News Calgary.