Man reported with weapon on Newfoundland campus may have had fishing rod

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Social media lit up briefly today as police at Memorial University of Newfoundland in St. John’s checked out a report of a man with a possible weapon.

Const. Geoff Higdon says the call came in just after 8 a.m. local time and police responded to an area called Kent’s Pond.

He says the officers could not locate the man but spoke with witnesses who said they’d seen someone matching that description with a fishing pole.

No one with a weapon or a fishing rod was found.

Higdon says police did not perceive any threat but notified university officials of their presence, who then put the information on social media as a precaution.

Higdon says police at no time shut down any part of the campus and left after about an hour.