Quebecers received an emergency alert on their phones Friday afternoon warning them of an armed and dangerous suspect in the Gaspé.
“Avoid the area,” reads the alert sent following an incident in the Saint-Elzéar-de-Bonaventure area. “If you are in the affected area, take shelter indoors, lock doors, stay away from windows and follow the instructions of local authorities.”
The alert was sent to warn residents of an “armed and dangerous suspect”.
According to police, the man was spotted at the corner of Central Road and Rte. From the east. He is 1.78 meters (5 ft 10 in) tall and weighs approximately 82 kg (180 lb). He is white, has brown hair and green eyes. He wore jeans, a black top with the Jack Daniels logo and motorcycle boots.
According to Stéphane Tremblay, spokesman for the Sûreté du Québec, the man in his fifties was found in a mental crisis at his home in St-Elzéar-de-Bonaventure, about 900 kilometers northeast of Montreal, around 2 Friday morning hours.
The man was later found to be armed and was last seen wandering in the forest near the town, which has a population of around 400.
An emergency alert was mistakenly sent to the entire province, Tremblay said, although it was actually only intended for residents of the region where the city is located.
Anyone who sees the suspect should call 911
— More details to come. Published with files by Max Harrold.