A St. Albert teenager is facing weapons charges after a student at St. Albert Catholic High School threatened a classmate with a fake handgun.

The 17-year-old student brought the replica gun to class on Monday afternoon, RCMP said in a news release on Friday.

Later that evening, police arrested the teen and seized the fake gun from his home.

The teen has been charged with carrying a concealed weapon, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose and uttering threats. He can't be identified, under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

The accused is scheduled to appear in St. Albert Youth Court on Jan 2.

RCMP have met with officials at the St. Albert Catholic School Division to assess the situation and develop a new safety plan for the school, using the the Violence Threat Risk Assessment model.

The protocol, widely used in schools across North America, determines how schools respond immediately to threatening incidents.

"The safety of our students is of utmost importance to the St. Albert Catholic School Division, St. Albert Catholic High School and the St. Albert RCMP," Cpl. Laurel Kading said in a statement.

"The introduction of the Violence Threat Risk Assessment model to St. Albert has allowed our school and community partners to work together to effectively address cases of violence while helping perpetrators change their destructive behaviours. "

Under Canadian law, using an imitation weapon to commit a crime carries the same penalties as using a real firearm.

Replica handguns are prohibited in Canada and they cannot be sold or given to an individual. However, people who owned a replica handgun before Dec.1, 1998 are allowed to keep it.

In 2014, imitation guns were involved in approximately 1,160 Edmonton police files, from mischief to weapons complaints to serious crimes.

In 2015, imitation guns were involved in approximately 1,598 Edmonton police investigations, a year-to-year increase of 38 per cent.