Kings District RCMP charge man in relation to an investigation of threats at Acadia University.
On June 6, 2023, Kings District RCMP received a report of a threat of a possible shooting at Acadia University. The threat was received in an email by Acadia University Safety and Security. RCMP officers learned that the threat of was being circulated on a social media platform and indicated that a shooting would occur at Acadia University in the fall of 2023.
As the investigation unfolded, RCMP officers received numerous tips from the public and information related to the threats. Through the use of judicial authorizations, RCMP officers identified a suspect.
On June 23, Kings District RCMP, with assistance from RCMP Digital Forensic Services, executed a search warrant at a home on Minas Crescent in relation to the investigation. During the search, RCMP officers located and seized electronic devices including a hard drive, computers, a 3D printer, and a cellular phone. No firearms were located.
Later that same day, Colby Watts, 20, of New Minas, turned himself in at the New Minas RCMP Detachment. Watts has been charged with Personation with Intent and was released on conditions by a Justice of the Peace. Watts will appear in Kentville Provincial Court on August 23, 2023 at 9:30 a.m.
Kings District RCMP would like to thank the public for their assistance and for calling in tips that helped advance the investigation.
The investigation remains ongoing.
File #: 2023-789894