Police say they wanted click bait, but ended with court dates.

Durham Regional Police allege three males who caused a gun scare at a Whitby movie theatre were pulling a prank for social media attention.

Officers were called to Landmark Cinemas at 75 Consumers Drive on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, at around 11:20 p.m.

“Customers were forced to leave a movie theatre after several males yelled that someone was in possession of a firearm,” a police release explained. “Officers arrived on scene and were directed toward three males who had left the theatre.”

Following an investigation, police say they determined the suspects were creating social media content and “had intentionally created a false disturbance to generate a reaction they could film.”

Their suspected quest for attention succeeded in attracting the attention of investigators, who later arrested three Ajax males.

Fique Wamiq Ayub, 23, Jaiden Joseph-Anthony Mosquera, 23, and a 17-year-old who can’t be named because he’s a minor, all face charges of cause disturbance and mischief.

They were released on undertakings.