Heavily armed police briefly surrounded a South Surrey elementary school Thursday morning, following an "unfounded" report of someone with a gun on the school grounds.
Police – noting the report, which came in around 11:40 a.m., was soon after modified to "stranger in the school" – say the response to South Meridian Elementary, at 16244 13 Ave., was "out of an abundance of caution."
Nine police vehicles were on the scene; the officers remained on-site for for less than an hour.
"Turns out the file is unfounded," Cpl. Scotty Schumann confirmed shortly after 12:30 p.m.
"A couple of young students there saw a repairman that was legitimately in the school and didn't recognize him, and somehow described him as being with a gun."
School district spokesman Doug Strachan told Peace Arch News the school was locked down for "10 to 15 minutes."
"We were given the all-clear really quickly," he said.