Suspect arrested after school lockdowns and shelter-in-place orders in Châteauguay and Kahnawake
Posted December 16, 2025 3:09 pm.
Last Updated December 17, 2025 8:53 am.
The Kahnawake Peacekeepers on Montreal’s South Shore say an arrest has been made after threatening messages posted on social media prompted schools in the community to lock their doors and shelter in place on Tuesday.
The post, which reportedly read “Mass shooting incoming,” prompted an immediate police response and preventive measures across the region.
In a statement Tuesday evening, the Peacekeepers say a suspect is in custody after a joint operation between Montreal police and other agencies.
“The shelter-in-place order affected elementary schools in the Châteauguay area, Howard S. Billings Regional High School, the Nova Career Centre, and the New Frontiers School Board offices,” the board said in a statement. “Students and staff stay inside the building and continue normal activities as much as possible.”
The Châteauguay police, said officers were deployed to monitor the area and ensure safety.
The New Frontiers School Board noted that at no point was there a direct threat inside the schools themselves. The shelter-in-place order is used when there is a potential threat nearby, as opposed to a lockdown, which indicates an immediate danger inside or near the school.
The Kahnawake Mohawk Peacekeepers confirmed their investigation into the incident and stressed that spreading false information can cause unnecessary panic in the community.
The shelter-in-place was lifted in the early afternoon, and students were gradually released to their parents.
