A weapons call sparked a big police response to Burnaby's Metrotown mall Thursday evening.
Burnaby RCMP got a report at about 6:45 p.m. about a person with a weapon, possibly a knife, according to an emailed Burnaby RCMP statement.
When police arrived, they located a 37-year-old man being held by security guards near Lids in the northwest area of the mall.
Police took the man into custody after he was linked to an alleged robbery at a jewelry store in the mall, according to police.
The suspect used a metal tool to break display cases inside the store, police said.
After his arrest, the man was taken to hospital to be treated for minor injuries.
Burnaby RCMP said 10 police vehicles responded to the mall for the incident.
The large police presence raised concerns among mall goers, some of whom took to social media.
Metrotown Mall Attack
byu/Ahootchie inburnaby
A.H., who didn't want her full name published because of safety concerns, told the Burnaby NOW she posted on Reddit to find out what happened after she ran away from the area where the suspect was arrested.
She said she saw a group of about four youths all clad in black puffy jackets and wearing balaclavas attack a man who had bumped into them.
"They were all dressed the same," A.H. said of the youths.
"Eventually, I saw one of the dudes making this stabbing motion, and I saw he had a knife, so after that I just left, and I saw two security guards running towards the scene."
The investigation is ongoing, according to police.
Follow Cornelia Naylor on X/Twitter @CorNaylor
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