The RCMP says there is no threat to the public, after it tracked down what was reported to be a man with a weapon at the University of British Columbia (UBC).
Mounties issued an alert after someone reported a man with a gun inside the UBC student union’s Nest building around 1 p.m. on Thursday.
Officers weren’t able to find the man when they arrived, but used surveillance video to retrace his steps. In doing so, police found pellets commonly used with a B.B. gun.
Police were later able to locate the person in question, who turned out to be a teenager and not a UBC student.
Police said that after speaking with him, they were able to confirm the weapon was in fact a pellet gun.
“While the individual was on campus with no intentions to cause harm, the RCMP would like to remind the public that replica guns or items which could be perceived as real can cause concerns and trigger a full police response,” said an RCMP media release.
“Public locations and school campuses are often on heightened vigilance for such suspicious activities.”