Male in custody after shots fired in Winnipeg's North End

An hours-long standoff in Winnipeg's North End came to an end Wednesday when police took a lone male into custody.

Speaking to media shortly after the incident was resolved at approximately 6:25 p.m., Winnipeg Police Service spokesman Const. Rob Carver said nobody was hurt, although he did say the male suspect required some attention.

"He currently is being treated medically because we actually deployed a significant amount of gas in an effort to resolve this the way we did," Carver said.

People had urged people to stay away from the area of the armed-and-barricaded situation where Winnipeg police said shots had been fired from inside a house earlier in the day.

A witness near the home in question heard numerous shots.

"I can tell you that we've had shots fired ... by both an individual in a residence in the block behind me as well as by our officers," Carver said Wednesday afternoon, standing near the intersection of Salter Street and Bannerman Avenue.

Nearby St. John's High School, Champlain School and Machray School were put into hold-and-secure situations, which means classes were ongoing but the doors were locked so no one could enter or leave.

Police had been called to the area earlier Wednesday.

Officers surrounded the intersection at 6 a.m. but wouldn't say why, only referring to the situation as a "serious incident" and asking people to avoid the area.

Shortly after noon, police said the situation had been resolved. But at 1 p.m., the police service posted on Twitter that officers had returned.

The Wednesday afternoon incident is connected to the earlier one, Carver said.

The primary concern was to resolve the situation peacefully, said Carver. 

Officers set up a perimeter around the area and are asking residents within that area to remain in their homes or to not return home. 

Carver said police were escorting residents out of the area if they needed to pick up their children, but were being told to make alternate arrangements, as they would not be allowed back to their homes.  

"It's certainly concerning. There have been a number of shooting incidents and a number in this area, specifically," he said.

Traffic was shut down in both directions on Salter at Bannerman.

West End incident

Police also shut down some streets in the city's West End on Wednesday.

Heavily armed officers appeared to be involved in a standoff with someone in a building at the corner of Sargent Avenue and Young Street around 10:30 a.m. The canine unit and tactical teams were also on scene.

A section of Sargent was blocked to traffic, along with a portion of Young, but the roads were reopened about an hour later.

CBC reporter Jillian Taylor saw three people brought out of the building around 11 a.m. — a man and woman escorted by police and another man in handcuffs.

Most of the police units were gone by noon, though some officers remained on scene, going in and out of the building. 

No information is available from the police service about what happened.

Police have said they don't believe the incidents in the North End and West End are connected.