[media-credit name=’BEN CLASSON/Herald photo’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]Police arrested a suspected armed robber Friday who fled into a University of Wisconsin building on the south side of campus.

The incident spurred two nearby residence halls, Smith and Ogg, to lock down for a couple hours, as well as the University of Wisconsin Bursar’s Office, 21 N. Park St., where police eventually found Marcus T. Chavous, 46.

Police took Chavous into custody for violating parole — he has a long history of armed robbery and other convictions — and for further questioning. Chavous has not been formally charged with armed robbery because police are working with eyewitnesses, said Joel DeSpain, public information officer for Madison Police Department.

Police responded to a reported armed robbery at the Italian deli Fraboni’s, 822 Regent St., at 11:14 a.m. Friday. Witnesses told police the robber indicated he had a gun.

According to an MPD release, the robber fled Fraboni’s on a bicycle, witnesses told police, and a store employee gave chase. One person led police to the Bursar’s Office, which also serves as the university’s Welcome Center, and is directly behind Fraboni’s. The witness told police there was a “suspicious” person on one of the upper floors.

As city and UW police cleared the Bursar’s Office and searched the building floor by floor, an emergency mass e-mail was sent to all students and employees at 12:25 p.m. It warned students to stay away from the area until further notice. It was the second time in one week police used the new electronic system during a gun scare.

University of Wisconsin Police Department Sgt. Clark Brunner said Friday there was no immediate danger to students, but the mass e-mail was precautionary. No one was reported injured in the incident.

UW freshman Sarah MacCallum, a resident of Smith Hall, said two gun scares in one week has been an “eye opener,” even though she felt no sense of danger Friday.

“I have always thought of Madison as a really safe town,” MacCallum said. “Two gun scares [near campus] in one week is a lot.”

MacCallum said she came back to Smith Hall around noon Friday, shortly before the building was locked down. The atmosphere was a little confusing, she said, because police were everywhere, and students were being interviewed in the study room. MacCallum said she realized what was going on once she checked her e-mail.

Police eventually found Chavous in the Bursar’s Office and convinced the man to give himself up. A second mass e-mail sent at 1:30 p.m. informed the campus community “the incident … has been resolved” and “the area can return to normal operations.”

For MacCallum, the gun scare could have been miles away. She continued her studies as planned. Other residents were stopped from leaving the resident hall.

Unlike Tuesday’s gun scare, which locked down the entire west side of campus, there were no reports of canceled classes or athletic activities. Police found the armed robbery suspect in less than three hours, and the incident was several blocks from any academic buildings.

Paul Evans, director of UW housing, said Friday the two residence halls were opened once police gave the all clear and Chavous was detained.

“As far as we’ve been told, there’s no other thing that we should be doing,” he said.

Evans said residence hall employees will hear the concerns of students who want to talk about the incident and also work with the police during its investigation.