Manitoba’s largest university is vowing to review its processes and protocols after criticism that the post-secondary institution didn’t act quickly enough to warn students of a potential threat on campus.
University of Manitoba president and vice-chancellor Michael Benarroch said the school is aware of concerns that information was not shared quickly enough after several reports of a man wielding a knife were lodged early Tuesday morning.
“As with any event of this nature, we will review the effectiveness and efficiency of our relevant protocols to ensure our processes align with our commitment to a safe and supportive environment,” Benarroch wrote in an email co-signed by U of M provost and vice-president Diane Hiebert-Murphy.
Winnipeg police received multiple reports of a man with a large kitchen knife inside the Allen Physics Laboratory building beginning at about 6:30 a.m.
U of M officials placed the campus in lockdown about an hour later, before many staff and students had arrived.
The university waited until about 9:30 a.m. to inform students and faculty that classes would be cancelled for the day.
By 10:30 a.m., Winnipeg police had issued an alert on social media saying there was no longer an ongoing threat to the public.
At a news conference later in the day, police said no suspects had been found.
Police had no further updates Wednesday, despite reports from University of Manitoba Students’ Union president Divya Sharma telling the Free Press she had been contacted by a student who’d encountered the intruder in the university’s tunnel system.
The woman was physically assaulted — but not with the knife — and was not ready to speak to the media Wednesday, Sharma said.
The U of M defended its response to the incident on Tuesday and doubled down Wednesday.
“UM Security immediately responded to the incident reported early (Tuesday) morning, working closing with Winnipeg Police Service to assess and address appropriately,” Benarroch said.
“As with any report of a potential threat to campus safety, our first priority is to secure impacted areas.”
Gord Perrier, director of security services at the university, said Tuesday the university took direction from police after officers arrived on scene.
Benarroch wrote Wednesday the university sent out information across various channels, including the on-campus loudspeaker, along with alerts via email, social media and UM Learn.
scott.billeck@freepress.mb.ca
Scott Billeck
Reporter
Scott Billeck is a general assignment reporter for the Free Press. A Creative Communications graduate from Red River College, Scott has more than a decade’s worth of experience covering hockey, football and global pandemics. He joined the Free Press in 2024. Read more about Scott.
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