Crawley College: Police thank public for tackling gun suspect
- Published
Police have thanked people who helped apprehend a suspect amid reports of gunshots at a college.
Armed police officers descended on Crawley College in West Sussex at 15:10 BST on Monday, and arrested an 18-year-old man.
Ch Supt Howard Hodges said: "I want to thank those who helped apprehend the suspect before officers arrived."
Two members of staff sustained minor injuries, and a knife and firearm were recovered from the scene, police said.
Video appearing to show a member of staff tackling the suspect to the ground and pinning him to the floor was shared by students on Snapchat on Monday.
The college was evacuated, and all staff and students relocated to a safe space while police carried out a search of the buildings.
Sussex Police officers were assisted by a bomb disposal team, East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service and the South East Coast Ambulance Service.
Nothing suspicious was found and it is not being treated as a terrorist incident, police said.
Police officers also conducted a search at an address in Barton Walk, Crawley, in connection with the incident.
Ch Supt Hodges thanked "all the students, staff and public for their co-operation".
"We continue to have a policing presence in Crawley and are speaking to witnesses. We are still appealing for anyone with information to come forward," he added.
Crawley College remains closed to students on Tuesday while police inquiries continue.
Crawley pic.twitter.com/ZgR9uCotqi
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An 18-year-old student, who did not want to be named, said the "frightening experience" had left him feeling shaken up.
"It was quite hectic and it seemed liked something out of a game, like Call of Duty," he continued.
"Everyone was just shouting and screaming and bangs in the background, which some people assumed were gunshots."
Teachers told students to "get under the table and shut the door, just as a precautionary measure," he said.