A reminder to all online shoppers: always double-check the shipping address you enter — or you might end up having a gun delivered to a university residence.

RCMP were called to the Ponderosa residence at UBC last Wednesday after residence staff were told by Canada Post that a parcel likely contained a firearm.

Andrew Parr, managing director of student housing and hospitality services at UBC, said the gun had been ordered by a student living in the residence.

"We contacted the student, and when he arrived, we opened the package together," Parr said.

Parr said the student intended to have the gun shipped to his home address out-of-province, but it was somehow sent to his residence address instead.

"He had no issue with the protocols that we were undertaking," Parr said. "He was very accommodating with the police and our staff."

The gun was seized by RCMP, who are holding it until the student can make arrangements to have it sent elsewhere.

Appears to have been acquired legally

Sgt. Drew Grainger with the UBC RCMP detachment said firearms can be legally bought and sold online and shipped through the mail in Canada, providing the purchaser is properly licensed.

Grainger said the student in this case is a licensed gun collector, and that the firearm appears to have been acquired legally.

Nevertheless, Grainger said police got involved because of UBC's zero-tolerance policy for guns on campus.

"It goes without saying that firearms on campus are just completely unfathomable," Grainger said.

Parr said the university's policy on guns is very clear, and in this case there appears to have been a simple misunderstanding.

"I think for the vast majority of our population, they adhere to those rules," Parr said.

With files from Jodi Muzylowski and Deborah Goble.