Three people who were taken into custody in connection with a potential threat that closed a busy Halifax-area shopping mall Tuesday have been released without charges.
Two men and a woman were arrested in connection with the alleged incident shortly before 4 p.m. at an apartment building on Willett Street in Halifax. Police executed a search warrant at the apartment as part of the investigation.
"The two men and woman were released without charges. They were co-operative with police and at this time we have no reason to believe that they were directly involved with any of the matters we are investigating," said Halifax Regional Police Sgt. Maj. Don Moser.
Halifax police responded to Mic Mac Mall in Dartmouth after receiving information about a potential threat at 9 a.m. Tuesday.
Police said they spoke with mall management, who chose to close the shopping centre for the day, announcing the closure about two and a half hours later.
All customers and staff were asked to leave as a precaution. Police said they left the mall in a calm and orderly fashion.
Shortly after the mall closed, police blocked part of Everette Street in another part of Dartmouth.
“The police response has been large at Mic Mall Mall. It has been significant here as well,” said police spokesperson Const. Pierre Bourdages of the scene on Everette Street.
Officers surrounded and entered a home on the street Tuesday afternoon, but police said it was empty and nothing of interest was found.
Police will not comment on what led them to the Everette Street home.
Carrie Kempton, who lives nearby, was at her home when officers alerted her of their activites.
“They just told me to stay away from the windows. They just told me to relax, don't come outside or anything,” she said.
The street has since reopened.
The Halifax Regional School Board placed two nearby schools, Crichton Park School and South Woodside School, on hold-and-secure mode as a safety precaution Tuesday.
Patrick Roy’s daughter was inside one of the schools.
“She called me and said that she was in lockdown and that she was scared and wanted to leave,” Roy said.
“I told her there was no way that she could leave right now because everything's locked down, and that the police are here and they're going to take care of it.”
The hold and secure was lifted Tuesday afternoon and students were dismissed for the day.
Both mall and school officials have declined to comment, saying this is a police matter.
Police said there is no information to suggest continued threats to Mic Mac Mall. They are still investigating the source of the threats, as well as their legitimacy.
Anyone with information about the matter is asked to contact police.
Mic Mac Mall reopened Wednesday morning.
With files from CTV's Kayla Hounsell
