Lockdown lifted at NBCC Saint John after 'odd' message; police investigating source

Police say there is no threat to students and staff after New Brunswick Community College Saint John went into lockdown Tuesday morning.

The Saint John Police Force responded to the NBCC’s Grandview Avenue Campus around 10:30 a.m. for "an unknown problem" after it was reported the campus went into lockdown.

The response was sparked, in part, by a post on the college’s social media accounts.

"ATTENTION, LOCKDOWN IMMEDIATELY at NBCC SAINT JOHN, GRANDVIEW CAMPUS BUILDINGS," said a tweet issued from the NBCC Twitter account Tuesday morning.

"If you are on-site, assess your situation and RUN - HIDE - FIGHT. If you are off-site, stay away until an “All Clear” notification is issued by First Responders. ATTENTION, LOCKDOWN IMMEDIATELY.”

A tweet by NBCC that has been deleted “to avoid re-circulation of the lockdown message.”

A short time later, Saint John police tweeted that officers were on scene and investigating.

"No signs of threats to safety of students and staff at this time," said police in the tweet.

Shortly after 11 a.m., police tweeted that the campus was still on lockdown "while police conduct a thorough search of the campus and continue to investigate the source of the lockdown."

Update 2: NBCC Grandview Avenue Campus. The campus remains on lockdown while police conduct a thorough search of the campus and continue to investigate the source of the lockdown. No signs of threat to the safety of students or staff at this time. More info to follow.

— Saint John Police (@saintjohnpolice) September 6, 2022

Around 11:40 a.m., police said officers had searched the campus and found no threats to the safety of students and staff.

Police say the lockdown has been lifted and an investigation is underway to find the source of the message posted on NBCC’s social media accounts.

Update 3: NBCC Grandview Avenue Campus. Police have searched the campus and found no threats to the safety of students or staff. The lockdown has been lifted. Police and school officials continue to investigate the source of the lockdown message sent to NBCC's distribution list.

— Saint John Police (@saintjohnpolice) September 6, 2022

In an interview with CTV News, Saint John police admitted the initial messaging about the lockdown was "odd.”

In an email to CTV News, a spokesperson for NBCC confirmed a lockdown alert was issued for the campus at 10:20 a.m., and police responded and investigated.

Karen Rawlines says the lockdown ended at 11:14 a.m., after police determined there was no threat. She did not comment on the nature of the lockdown message posted on NBCC’s social media accounts.

According to the NBCC Twitter account, the original tweet has been deleted “to avoid re-circulation of the lockdown message.”