Three males, including two 23-year-olds and a 17-year-old, face charges after allegedly yelling that someone possessed a gun inside a crowded Whitby movie theater on March 17, an act police have described as a prank filmed for social media.

Authorities say the Landmark Cinemas incident was intentionally staged to provoke and record public fear for online content, demonstrating the collision between the pursuit of viral fame and the endangerment of public safety. The subsequent arrests of Fique Wamiq Ayub, Jaiden Joseph-Anthony Mosquera, and a minor have shifted the consequences from online clicks to the criminal justice system, highlighting the real-world impact of performative chaos and prompting dialogue about media responsibility.

What We Know So Far

  • Three individuals face charges of causing a disturbance and mischief: Fique Wamiq Ayub, 23, Jaiden Joseph-Anthony Mosquera, 23, and a 17-year-old male whose name is protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
  • The incident occurred on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, at approximately 11:20 p.m. at the Landmark Cinemas located at 75 Consumers Drive in Whitby, Ontario, as reported by toronto.citynews.ca.
  • Durham Regional Police allege the suspects deliberately created a false disturbance by yelling about a firearm with the intent to film the ensuing panic for social media content.
  • The commotion forced frightened customers to flee the theater, disrupting the screening and creating a scene of chaos, according to reports from The Hollywood Reporter.
  • A video of the incident was reportedly posted on YouTube and, according to cp24.com, had accumulated more than 600,000 views as of the following Tuesday.

Charges Laid for Movie Theater Gun Prank

On the night of March 17, a typical evening at the movies turned into genuine alarm when Durham Regional Police were called to the 24-screen Landmark Cinemas complex in Whitby for a serious disturbance. Witnesses described sudden panic erupting in one theater after several males shouted an individual was armed. One outlet reported a person yelled, “He’s not kidding; he has a gun,” a phrase designed to trigger immediate fear.