U. of New Haven lockdown ends; gun suspect detained

The University of New Haven in Connecticut was locked down Tuesday for nearly five hours after police detained a commuter student with two loaded handguns near campus

Police said they had also recovered a rifle and ammunition magazines, and were searching the Fairfield home of the unidentified student. No charges had been filed by early evening.

The student was issued a pistol permit in April, Fairfield Police Sgt. Suzanne Lussier told the New Haven Register, adding that "you cannot legally carry a long gun out in public."

Shoppers alerted police about 12:30 p.m. after spotting the suspect park in a food market lot, get out of his vehicle with a handgun and walk toward campus.

The university's initial tweet said the police had reported "an Asian male near South Campus with what appears to be a rifle. SHELTER IN PLACE and await further instruction."

The university said on its Facebook page that the lockdown on the North and South campuses was lifted at 4 p.m. The Main Campus was reopened at 5:15 p.m. after police conducted a "methodical search," the university said.

Classes were canceled for Tuesday night but will resume Wednesday.

West Haven officials said the nearby Forest Elementary School and Carrigan Intermediate School were also locked down temporarily, NBC Connecticut reports.

Contributing: Michael Winter, USA TODAY