A man with two pellet guns — including one that looks like a high-powered rifle — was picked up in Bridgewater Friday, as fears remain high following the fatal shootings of three police officers in New Brunswick.

“Obviously, we take this matter quite seriously given what’s taken place ... in Moncton. Obviously, people are quite tense,” said Bridgewater Police Chief John Collyer.

Collyer said two people were walking on Centennial Trail at about 11:30 a.m. when they spotted a man carrying what appeared to be a rifle. They immediately went to a local daycare and told staff to keep the children inside.

The daycare did that and called 911.

Collyer said within 10 minutes, police found someone matching the description of the person on the trail.

He said the man did not have a weapon with him but police later recovered two pellet guns.

“One looks like a police-issue semi-automatic rifle and the other looks like a high-powered rifle with a scope,” he said.

“They are very realistic looking, but they are pellet guns.”

Collyer said the man is in custody and police are continuing to investigate to find out why he had pellet guns.

Under a Bridgewater bylaw, no one is permitted to fire a pellet gun in the town, though it’s legal to carry one.

Collyer said given what's happened in Moncton, it's "probably not the wisest idea" to walk around with pellet guns.

The incident happened about 12 hours after a manhunt ended in New Brunswick with the arrest of a suspect in the shootings that killed three police officers and wounded two others.

Witnesses said the Moncton suspect was carrying a number of weapons, including a semi-automatic gun.