FREDERICTON – After a teen carrying an umbrella in a sling was mistaken for a teen carrying a firearm on Friday morning, Fredericton Police put four schools in the city under lockdown.
The lockdowns were lifted a few hours later, and police located the person of interest and determined the person was carrying an umbrella in a sling, not a firearm.
According to police, Fredericton High School and Priestman Street School were put on full lockdown, and Mongtomery Street School and École Sainte-Anne were placed under partial lockdown. There are no classes at École Sainte-Anne today.
In an announcement over the intercom at Fredericton High at about 11:13 a.m., students were told police were “very confident” everything is secure, and they could go back to class, however many parents were picking up their children.
Police spokeswoman Alycia Bartlett says police received information around 9 a.m. about a teenaged male, dressed in dark clothing, carrying a firearm in a gun sock.
In a Facebook update from Fredericton Police at 11 a.m. police said they have not received any more information aside from the initial report.
“We are still attempting to locate the person of interest,” the post states. “We can assure you that we take these reports very seriously, which is why we have deployed significant resources at this time.”
Other schools in the area, Montgomery Street Elementary, Connaught Street Elementary and George Street Middle were secured for security purposes. Anglophone West was set up a “coms post.”
Fredericton Police released two photos of the suspect who they later determined was not a threat to the public.
With files from The Canadian Press.
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