Police cars surrounded Woodgrove Shopping Centre on July 15, 2019 after a young man pulled an imitation firearm out of his waitband. (Spencer Sterritt/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Alex Rawnsley

POLICE RESPONSE

Top Stories of 2019: Fake gun causes real response at Woodgrove Shopping Centre

Dec 18, 2019 | 6:54 AM

NANAIMO — An imitation weapon caused a stressful evacuation at Woodgrove Shopping Centre in July.

Police arrived in full tactical gear at around 5:30 p.m. on Monday, July 15 and immediately began searching the mall following reports of a young man with a weapon.

The situation created confusion for shoppers and employees, who were told to evacuate the mall immediately by security and police.

““We were told that for safety, we had to get out now by RCMP officers,” a mall employee said. “They were armed and in a hurry.”

“I initially thought it was shoplifting because I saw a couple of retailers slam down their gates,” another staff member said. “A lot of people were running out of the mall, kids and parents running towards the exits.”

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The evacuation left hundreds of people sitting in the parking lots around the mall nervously waiting for information and for the chance to go back inside and collect their belongings.

The shopping centre remained closed until 6:30 p.m., by which time police had identified the suspect and arrested him at another location. The fake firearm was also recovered.

“It’s unsure exactly when he left, whether it was prior to police arriving or during the evacuation,” RCMP Sgt. Jon Stuart said at the time.

The suspect was known to police and faced charges of possession of an imitation weapon along with theft.

RCMP told NanaimoNewsNOW all charges against the individual were dropped Nov. 21.

The situation at Woodgrove shopping centre was not the only heavy tactical response Nanaimo saw in 2019.

In November, Dover Bay Secondary School, McGirr Elementary and NDSS were all placed under lockdown following a threat made against the school.

Police later determined the threat was not credible and scaled back their response.

alex.rawnsley@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @alexrawnsley