An RCMP cruiser can be seen in this file photo. (Staff photo)
RCMP say an incident near Centennial Park that forced schools into lockdown and put residents on edge for hours was the result of a false report.
A news release states a reported shooting on May 13, 2021, did not occur as described to police.
After a thorough investigation, police were able to determine that no shooting occurred near Centennial Park at the time given in the initial report.
A 36-year-old Shediac Cape man was arrested on Thursday.
He was released from custody pending an appearance on August 11, 2021, at 9:30 a.m. in Moncton Provincial Court.
“We operate on the information we have at the time. Given the seriousness of the report, the RCMP acted in the best interests of public safety by containing the area and issuing an Alert Ready message,” says Cpl. Hans Ouellette of the New Brunswick RCMP. “When no evidence was discovered in the park, we began to widen our investigation.”
“We know people have many questions still – as have we – but that is information that will have to come out through the court process,” says Corporal Ouellette.
“Public safety is our top priority. We do not issue Alert Ready messages or contain areas lightly, but we will err on the side of caution to ensure people are safe. Thank you again to the people of Moncton for their cooperation and assistance during this police operation,” Ouellette says.
