A report of a gunman in Lewiston, Maine, that sent Bates College, public schools, and a hospital into lockdown turned out to be a false alarm, police said Thursday night.
An investigation determined that a suspect was not seen with a gun and made no threats to the public, police said.
The scare unfolded after police responded at around 3 p.m. to an incident at St. Mary’s Hospital related to an investigation in Auburn, police said.
A person who fled family at the hospital was believed to be armed with a firearm but wasn’t, according to police.
Still, believing the person was armed, the hospital went into lockdown and other institutions soon followed.
Lewiston Public Schools Superintendent Jake Langlais placed the middle school, which is located close to the hospital, in lockdown for students attending after-school activities as a precaution, police said.
Around 4:30 p.m., Lewiston police urged residents in the vicinity to use caution as officers responded to the ongoing situation on College Street, located between Sabattus Street and Russell Street.
The college said it was notified by police around 3:40 p.m. Thursday of an armed individual walking on Campus Avenue from Sabattus Street, towards Central Avenue, and an emergency response was sent out. The shelter-in-place at Bates was lifted shortly past 6 p.m., according to the school’s emergement management.
Lewiston communications director Angelynne Amores had told WMTW that the armed individual was believed to be experiencing a mental health crisis.
Police said officers have determined “that no firearm was observed by family members or any other witnesses,” and that the individual “has made no threats to harm members of the public.”
Officers will remain in the area and the investigation remains ongoing, police said.
“We would like to thank our local schools and community members for their cooperation,” police said.
Shannon Larson can be reached at shannon.larson@globe.com. Follow her @shannonlarson98.