Police cordoned off a street in Christchurch after a school was in lockdown
A Christchurch school was sent into lockdown and two streets blocked off after reports of a firearm, which is now thought to have been a paintball gun.
Police received a report of a person with a firearm at an address on Matipo St at about 3.30pm, a spokeswoman said.
AWharenui School spokesperson said police told them to go into lockdown. She said children at the school were in the after-school care programme.
Officers, along with the Armed Offenders Squad, responded. They had all been stood down by 5pm
Shortly before 7pm a police spokeswoman said nobody had been arrested following the incident and the "firearms" reported were believed to be "paintball-type guns", located.
MATIPO ST - POLICE OPERATION - 4:30 PM, TUES 4 JUNE Due to a police operation Matipo Street is closed between Riccarton Road and Blenheim Road. Road users should avoid this road until further notice. ^SM pic.twitter.com/lLeteV6Y1m
"All we heard earlier on was there was a person out there with a gun," she said.
"We had a lockdown procedure so we kept everyone in the building. Because we've got concrete buildings, we felt quite safe."
Shortly after the incident on Matipo St, police received another report of a man presenting a firearm toward another person on Riccarton Rd shortly after 3.30pm. No shots were fired.
The man then left in a vehicle. Officers along with the AOS located and arrested the man at an address on Fitzgerald Ave.
The police spokeswoman was unable to confirm if a firearm was located at that incident.
