[4:17 p.m.] St. Thomas University announced in an email the hold and secure status on campus has ended and STU is now cleared to resume regular operations.
[3:55 p.m.] Alycia Bartlett, Fredericton Police’s spokesperson, said in an email the police has “safely resolved the barricaded person call that was ongoing today.”
One person has been taken into custody, without incident and the investigation is ongoing. The perimeter is gradually being reduced.
[1:44 p.m.] University of New Brunswick Security said the hold and secure at UNB and St. Thomas University will continue, but students are allowed to leave campus if they choose.
In an emailed statement, associate vice-president communications Jeffrey Carleton said once students leave, they cannot return to campus until the all-clear is given. He said further instruction for the College Hill Daycare will come at 2 p.m.
UNB Security said students, staff and faculty can leave via McKay and Dineen Drive through the lower gate to Beaverbrook Street. Anyone in the parking lot on Montgomery Street should exit toward the Wu Centre and go down through UNB.
There will be no exiting onto Windsor Street. Travel toward Regent Street, Montgomery Street and College Hill by the heating plant isn’t allowed either.
[11:11 a.m.] Fredericton Police Sgt. Dwight Doyle said there are no injuries or hostages involved in the situation. He said that the Windsor, College Hill and Montgomery area is still closed.
In a media scrum at around 10 a.m., Doyle said that the area is contained. Those who were in their houses on Windsor are locked up and everyone who was able to get out already did.
“We have negotiators talking to the person now and we’re trying to resolve it peacefully,” he said.
The Aquinian asked if the house in question was a St. Thomas University-owned residence. Doyle said he couldn’t confirm that.
Doyle said that the Fredericton Police’s response team has a major crime control response notification services. The team includes patrols, an identification section, an emergency response team and an RCMP K9 unit. Around 20 members of Fredericton Police were in training this morning and were also sent to the area.
Fredericton police Sgt. Dwight Doyle said he can’t confirm if the residence in question belongs to St. Thomas University. (Aaron Sousa/AQ)
Doyle can’t say why the individual is barricaded and no mental health experts are on scene at this time.
Alycia Bartlett, Fredericton Police’s force spokesperson, said Fredericton Police is working with the district when it comes to schools that are on lockdown or hold and secure.
She asked the public to respect barricades and not share police locations in the area for police and public safety.
In an emailed statement, UNB Security said STU and UNB will remain in a hold and secure status until further notice. It means movement within buildings is permitted, but students, staff and faculty should remain in place.
[9:40 a.m.] St. Thomas University’s associate vice-president of communications, Jeffrey Carleton, said that as faculty and staff arrived this morning to campus, it was noticed that there were a number of police cars at the top of Windsor Street in the Brian Mulroney and Holy Cross parking lot.
Carleton said STU was notified of police presence just before 8 a.m. STU reached out to Campus Security to understand the situation.
“It was at that point that we were notified that it was a circumstance that required us to tell faculty, staff and students either to stay away from campus this morning, or to if you’re on campus to shelter in place,” he said.
Carleton said STU spread through social media and in an email to faculty, staff and students.
In the meantime, facilities staff locked the buildings on campus to shelter students, faculty and staff. Carleton said faculty and staff also locked their office doors.
Carleton said Fredericton Police has provided clarification that there’s an individual barricaded in a home in the Windsor Street area. The Aquinian asked Carleton if the home is a STU Windsor Street residence, but Carleton said he doesn’t know.
“We’re still in a holding pattern until we get further direction from the policing authorities,” he said.
[8:30 a.m.] Fredericton Police said in a tweet they are dealing with a “barricaded person” inside one of the residences around the College Hill and Montgomery street area.
St. Thomas University released a statement warning students, faculty and staff not to come to campus due to a police presence.
“If you are on campus, please stay in place,” said the statement.
University of New Brunswick security also issued an alert.
