Threat ends at U of Manitoba after police called about man with large knife

Posted on November 19, 2024 by Peggy

An emergency situation that shut down the University of Manitoba’s Fort Garry campus early Tuesday has ended without any arrests but police say there is no longer any danger.

Classes, however, remain cancelled for the rest of the day.

“It has been determined that there is no imminent threat to public safety. The major crimes unit continues to investigate this matter,” a notice from the Winnipeg Police Service said just after 10:30 a.m. Tuesday.

During an afternoon news conference, police spokesperson Const. Claude Chancy was not able to provide many details on the investigation.

When asked how he can be certain there’s no further risk to public if no arrests have been made, he said “there’s certain parts of the investigation that I can’t bring to the table right now.”

Reports of a man armed with a knife prompted officers to swarm the campus in south Winnipeg. Police first issued a public advisory on social media at 7:30 a.m., asking people to avoid the area around the Allen Building, at 30 Sifton Rd.

“There’s a lot of people that are trying to locate this male right now, and we want people to remain safe,” Chancy said around 8 a.m.

Armed officers walk in a university hallway — Tactical unit officers, seen through the window of a door, walked a U of M hallway on Tuesday. (Meaghan Ketcheson/CBC)

There were multiple officers from the tactical team, canine unit, general patrol and drone team on scene at that time. By 10 a.m., though, all but one of the police vehicles had left the campus.

About a half hour later, police used a text-alert system to send out an emergency notice on mobile phones “to reach as many people as possible in the area,” including students heading to classes, Chancy said during a press conference later in the day.

“That system has the technical ability to focus the text alerts to certain areas, using specific [cell phone] towers. So they concentrated on towers around the University of Manitoba.”

The initial 911 call came around 6:30 a.m. from a student who reported seeing a man with a large kitchen knife in the Allen Building, Chancy told CBC News early Tuesday.

But during the afternoon news conference, he said campus security received the first report and wouldn’t say who then contacted police.

“I can’t get to the exact … of how we received the information but we did receive the information from, I would say, multiple sources.”

Major crimes investigators have spoken to the person who made the initial report to security, he said, but would not comment on whether police believe it was unfounded.

Asked if a suspect was caught on any surveillance cameras, Chancy said “that’s all part of the investigation. We’re just gathering information now to see where this can bring us.”

The building — the physics laboratory, not a student residence — was unoccupied at the time the alert was issued because classes hadn’t yet started for the day.

“The building is currently locked down. There’s no access in and out,” Chancy said at 8 a.m. “We are aware, too, that the Allen Building has a system of underground corridors, as well, so that’s all being covered as well.”

Yellow police tape is seen strung across a set of doors — Police tape blocks doors to a building at the U of M campus early Tuesday. (Jeff Stapleton/CBC)

A notice from the university sent to students and staff informed them most classes were cancelled for the day. Classes that were already in session in other buildings, before the notice was sent out, continued as usual.

All virtual classes and those located on the U of M’s Bannatyne campus also went ahead Tuesday.

“If you are on [Fort Garry] campus, remain where you are, stay in place, and lock all doors. If you are not on campus, please do not come to campus,” the morning notice from the university said.

An updated notice later in the morning said the shelter advisory was over and business could resume. The class cancellations remained in place for the rest of the day.

Police said some members will remain on campus to do additional patrols as a precaution, but did not say how long they would be there.

Student Mikhail Precourt said while the situation was unfortunate, he was fine with missing class.

“I hope nobody gets hurt but I’m definitely happy that my lab is cancelled, just not the way I would want it to be cancelled, obviously,” Precourt said before the emergency ended.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 204-986-6219 or anonymously at Crime Stoppers at 204-786-TIPS.

Anonymous tips can also be submitted online to Crime Stoppers.