Many students and faculty at the U of M had classes cancelled on Tuesday due to a shelter-in-place advisory that has since been lifted.
The Winnipeg Police Service shared that around 6:30 a.m., officers received reports of a male armed with a knife at the Allen Building, which is located at 30 Sifton Road, at the U of M’s Fort Garry Campus.
During a press conference, Cst. Claude Chancy of the Winnipeg Police Service said that there is no immediate threat to public safety. “The situation has been resolved and it has been determined there is no longer any immediate threat to public safety.”
Chancy says that the Major Crimes Unit has assumed the investigation and no arrests have been made. “We have not found anybody. All of the supports that were brought into the area to look for this particular male, the building was searched, the immediate area was searched, we’re gathering information right now to see where this can bring us.”
He says “All we know right now is it was reported to us that there was a male present in the building in possession of a large knife.”
When asked how police are sure that there is no risk to the public, he says, “We have enough information to be able to retract the emergency alert that was cancelled because we do not believe at this point that there is any immediate threat to public safety.”
While there is no immediate threat to public safety, Chancy says that there is currently an added police presence on campus. “There are still some members there from the Tactical Support Team and General Patrol members doing walk-arounds on the campus. For the immediate time, they are there as a precaution.”
The investigation continues as the Major Crimes Unit works with security at the University of Manitoba.
More details to come.