Four people were injured in a shooting on Friday near a university in Montreal and were taken to a hospital, according to a police source.

In another incident, the police arrested an armed man in an educational institution in the Montreal area, and several students were forced to take shelter at the police's request during their intervention.
 

Police spokesperson Genevieve Major reported that at 17:30 (22:30 GMT), gunfire was heard in a park opposite the University of Montmorency in the Laval suburb of Montreal.

Four people who were shot took refuge at the college and were later taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

The university, which has about 10,000 students and teachers, remained closed in the evening, while the police launched a manhunt for the shooter.

Mayor Stéphane Boyer said on his Twitter account that a police operation is "ongoing".

Earlier, a 19-year-old man wearing a bulletproof vest was arrested at a university 40 kilometers south of Montreal on charges of making threats.

Students and staff told local media they were ordered to take shelter in classrooms and turn off the lights for most of the day while the police conducted an operation outside.

Student Alejandra Montequin told Canada's Global News, "At first, we were very scared."

Quebec's Public Security Minister François Bonnardel wrote on Twitter that the students at the institution "faced a difficult situation today".

He added, "I feel relieved by the course of events."