A man is in police custody after several schools were put into lockdown on Tuesday afternoon, following reports of a man in the area armed with a gun.
ACT police said they responded to an unconfirmed report of a man with a gun about 1.40pm.
Several south Canberra schools, including Canberra Grammar, St Edmund's College, St Clare's and Red Hill Primary, went into lockdown, with reports students were told to stay away from windows.
Just after 3pm police lifted the lockdown, and a 25-year-old man was taken into custody on a First Instant Warrant.
The man was believed to have been taken into custody about 3pm, and had been taken to the ACT Watch House.
Police confirmed that the man taken into custody was the same man reportedly armed in the area.
It is unclear what that warrant, which police said could have been for a previous unrelated offence or for failing to appear in court, was in relation to.
"No firearm was sighted. Police are also investigating whether the report was as a result of a hoax," police said in a statement.
A caller who said they were from Grammar said staff and students had been locked inside and told to stay away from windows.
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Canberra Grammar School principal Dr Justin Garrick said earlier that he had no idea why the lockdown had been instituted but had followed police instructions to ensure all 1700 students and 200 staff were locked in their classrooms with the blinds drawn for the 40 minute duration.
The lock downs were lifted about 2.40pm, after police contacted the schools.
In a statement to parents sent just after 3.30pm, Canberra Grammar School thanked parents for their cooperation during the lockdown.
It said “the school was advised by ACT Police to go into lockdown. The school remained in that mode until advised by ACT Police to sound the all clear”.
“We were very pleased by the way that the students and staff responded to our procedures and grateful to parents for their cooperation,” it said.
It said that it may have been an “anxious time” for students, and those with concerns were urged to contact the school.
A spokeswoman for Narrabundah College said the school did not go into lockdown and it had been not been contacted by police. St Benedicts, in Narrabundah, also did not go into lockdown, nor did St Bede's, in Red Hill, or Telopea Park School, in Barton.
Director of Education at Canberra Grammar School, Ian Hewitt, said parents would be able to be pick up their children as usual.
Mr Hewitt said "there has been open communication with parents throughout the day and he is not aware of any specific grievances".
The school put its critical incident plan in operation, and no students were able to leave the school, nor were parents able to enter the school during the lockdown.
Mr Hewitt said the school had been working closely with the police.
There were reports that a very loud alarm had been ringing at Canberra Boys Grammar for around 30 minutes and that Red Hill and Griffith were overwhelmed with loud noise
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