Suspect in CCRI lockdown arrested on firearms charges

WARWICK, R.I. — Warwick Police say an arrest has been made following the lockdown at the Community College of Rhode Island Knight Campus earlier this week.

The situation began Tuesday after a report of a man in a wooded area off Commonwealth Avenue carrying a backpack with what appeared to be a firearm partially exposed. The call triggered a large police response and led to a lockdown that lasted several hours.

Officers later located a backpack containing an airsoft gun and a pellet rifle, but the person believed to be carrying it had already left the area.

After following leads and gathering evidence, police identified the suspect as 41-year-old Nathan Randall. He was taken into custody without incident.

Authorities say Randall is facing a firearms-related charge and was also wanted on four outstanding warrants. He was arraigned and ordered held pending a future court date.

During the incident, several nearby schools were placed in shelter-in-place as a precaution while officers secured the area.

This is not the first time CCRI has dealt with a situation like this, following a lockdown last year at the Community College of Rhode Island Flanagan Campus after a report of a man threatening someone with a knife. In that case, the suspect was found carrying an airsoft-style pistol and small pocket knives.