RCMP arrest man after shots fired on sea ice in Nunavut capital

Armed RCMP officers began their search for a gunman around 4 p.m. at the Iqaluit graveyard. (PHOTO BY THOMAS ROHNER)

The incident ended around 7:30 p.m. June 1 when armed RCMP officers arrested a man and charged him with firearms offences. (PHOTO BY THOMAS ROHNER)

An incident involving a lone gunman on the sea ice in Iqaluit ended peacefully in the evening of June 1 after police took the man into custody and laid charges of careless firearms use.

“The Iqaluit RCMP has arrested a male for dangerous use of a firearm and seized a firearm. No charges have been laid at this time as the investigation is still ongoing,” police said in a mid-evening release.

It started around 4 p.m. June 1, when armed officers in police vehicles converged at the Iqaluit cemetery responding to reports of a distressed armed man.

Police confirmed that shots had been fired but no one was injured.

A man and woman at the cemetery, identifying themselves as father and sister of the gunman, said they suspected he was intoxicated but did not know what had made him distraught.

The man was seen walking on the sea ice toward Apex with a rifle over his shoulder, which led police down the Apex road toward that satellite neighbourhood.

Police then warned residents in a news release at about 5:20 p.m. to stay clear of Tarr Inlet and the Apex area and then set up a roadblock on the Apex road so motorists could no longer drive into the area.

The incident ended about 7:30 p.m. when police took the man into custody.

With files from Thomas Rohner and Steve Ducharme