Woodlands Secondary School was locked down this morning (April 5) as police tracked an armed fraud suspect.
At around 9:20 a.m., Nanaimo RCMP received reports of a male allegedly using a stolen credit card at the Home Hardware at Brooks Landing shopping centre, RCMP spokesman Gary O'Brien said in a press release.
The suspect allegedly produced a knife and fled on foot after employees confronted him. Due to the fact there was a knife and Woodlands Secondary School is located near the shopping centre, the Nanaimo school district implemented a lockdown.
The school district said students were kept in their classrooms and doors were locked.
RCMP members, including police dog Azar and his handler, attended the scene and the suspect was tracked and found about 10 minutes later in the Giggleswick Place area.
O'Brien said the man, 32, was arrested for possession of a weapon dangerous to the public peace, breach of probation and fraudulent use of a credit card.
The could face more charges as the investigation is continuing, O'Brien said.