Campbelltown TAFE in Sydney’s south west went into lockdown on Tuesday afternoon after security alerted police to two people seen acting suspiciously on campus.
NSW Police said the lockdown was already in place before officers arrived at the Narellan Road site and the public was told to stay away while the operation was under way.
The response started just before 4.30pm. Police said officers moved through classrooms and other buildings while checking CCTV to find out where the two people had gone.
A full search of the campus did not find any item of concern but the operation caused major disruption as staff and students were kept inside.
Early reports said a person on campus had been seen with an object that looked like a firearm which appears to have triggered the strong police response.
Students were told to shelter while officers checked the site building by building. NSW Police did not describe the incident as an active shooter situation in material published during the operation.
By about 7pm, officers had followed their inquiries to a home in Campbelltown where they spoke with a 16 year old girl.
Police said they seized a water pistol as part of those inquiries. The operation later ended though police said investigations were continuing on Tuesday night.
Families were later told they could collect students from the roundabout on William Downes Avenue near the campus.
The incident briefly turned a routine afternoon at the TAFE into a major police scene but the object at the centre of the scare was later found to be a toy.
