Three men have been arrested and charged with assault after a gun scare at a hockey tournament in St. Vital sent spectators running.
Winnipeg police were called to the Jonathan Toews Sportsplex at Dakota Community Centre around 5:45 p.m. Sunday for a report that a spectator was seen with a handgun.
Const. Rob Carver said Monday a group of three men went to the community centre and got into an altercation with three other men.
Const. Carver said staff and security intervened, and that's when one of the suspects was seen with a handgun.
Security personnel detained the suspects until police arrived. The weapon was determined to be a replica BB/pellet gun.
READ MORE: Replica gun clears out Jonathon Toews Sportsplex
In an emailed statement, organizers of the Southeast Winter Tribal Days Hockey Tournament said the tournament "was disrupted by instigators during a Sunday evening hockey game."
Const. Carver said it doesn't appear the incident had anything to do with the hockey game.
"I don't specifically think this was a hockey-related issue," Const. Carver said. "There may have been some longstanding issue between the parties."
Southeast Resource Development Council Corp said the game was cancelled as a result.
Several spectators streamed out of the arena, and players and coaches were called off the ice.
SERDC said it's focusing on the well-being of people affected by the incident.
"SERDC management is following up by engaging a community health crisis team to provide counselling and support to children and family members who may have been impacted by the incident," said an emailed statement to CTV News.
Ryan Matthew Boulanger, 28 of Bloodvein, Man., faces charges of assault and possessing a weapon.
Jeremy Peltier, 29 and Nathan Scott, 23, both from Winnipeg, face assault charges.
Dakota Community Centre CEO Michele Augert said she was made aware of the incident shortly after it happened.
Augert said because it was such a large event, the community centre required tournament organizers to bring in additional security personnel.
Augert said community centre staff also became involved in trying to bring the situation under control.
A large number of people self-evacuated once word got out that someone was carrying a gun, Augert said.
She said she's meeting with tournament organizers to determine if anything could be done better in the future to ensure the safety of participants and spectators.
