Police in New Glasgow, N.S., said they arrested a suspect late Friday following a report of a person barricaded inside an apartment with a firearm.

Officers were called to the Hillcrest Avenue apartment Friday around 1 p.m. A regional alert was sent to residents in the Pictou County area shortly after.

The area, including Norma Street and Mount Batton Drive, was closed to motorists and pedestrians, according to a news release.

New Glasgow Academy was placed in hold-and-secure mode earlier in the day as a precaution. Shortly after 4 p.m., Const. Ken Macdonald confirmed the school had been safely evacuated.

Residents were also evacuated and the public was asked to avoid the area.

Police, fire crews and EHS remained on the scene until shortly after 9 p.m., when a 68-year-old adult male from Pictou County was arrested under the Involuntary Psychiatric Treatment Act. Another regional alert was sent out to the Pictou County area to let the community know the area was safe and secure.

Late Friday, New Glasgow police said the man has been charged with careless use of a firearm and unsafe storage of a firearm.

The accused is currently being held in custody. Police say nobody was injured during the incident.