Cape Breton schoolboy, 13, arrested after false report of being shot: police

A Cape Breton Regional Police vehicle is seen on June 25, 2025. (Ryan MacDonald/CTV Atlantic)

A 13-year-old boy faces a mischief charge in relation to a false shooting report to police, causing a school lockdown in Sydney River, N.S.

Someone called the police and said they’d been shot before hanging up at 8:35 a.m. on Wednesday, according to a news release from Cape Breton Regional Police.

Dispatch operators were able to pinpoint the location of the call, which allegedly came from the gymnasium at Malcolm Munroe Memorial Middle School in Sydney River.

School staff initiated a lockdown and police headed to the scene.

Operators called the hang-up number back and the caller said there was no emergency, according to the release.

“On arrival, officers immediately cleared the gymnasium and tracked down the registered owner of the phone in a classroom, where they spoke with a group of students who provided information that a call was made to 9-1-1 falsely reporting that someone was shot,” reads the release.

After speaking with students and staff, police arrested one youth who they reportedly determined made the call.

He was later released from custody and will appear in Sydney provincial court on July 15, facing a charge of mischief for interfering with the lawful use, enjoyment or operation of property.

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