Report Of Armed Man At Meriden Mall Leads To School Lockdown: Police

MERIDEN, CT — An elementary school was temporarily placed in a lockdown Tuesday afternoon while police investigated a report of an armed man in the Meriden Mall, according to officials.

Police received a call around 12:25 p.m. from the Meriden Mall security team indicating that there was a customer inside a store who mentioned being in possession of a gun and that he was believed to be armed, according to Lt. Darrin McKay.

McKay said officers responded immediately and met with the security staff, and the man was found inside the mall. The 65-year-old man was not armed, but McKay said the investigation did lead to his arrest.

John Barry Elementary School at 124 Columbia Street was placed in a lockdown as a precaution, according to McKay.

McKay said the lockdown was canceled shortly thereafter once it was determined there was no threat to the public.

The man did not have a positive ID, so his identity wasn’t immediately released, according to McKay.

Note: An earlier version of this story said that the MidState Medical Center was also temporarily placed in a lockdown. Police were later notified that the hospital was never put in a lockdown, just the elementary school.