FREDERICTON -- Police say a suspected firearm being carried by a man in Fredericton on Friday that caused schools to be locked down turned out to be an umbrella.
Police released a photo of the umbrella that the man they were looking for was carrying and described it on the department's Facebook page as having a "significant resemblance to a weapon."
At least four schools including a high school and an elementary school were initially locked down as a precaution, but shortly before noon police lifted the lockdowns.
"We want to thank the public for their diligence this morning and thank you for your patience as we worked to investigate this complaint," the police department said in a statement.
"We take all complaints very seriously and our response was prompt and measured, and we want to reassure the public that we had all of our necessary resources deployed."
