Videos of a man who appeared to be assembling a rifle outside a Toronto store that were shared online garnered thousands of views and the attention of police, who briefly took the man into custody before letting him go.

But while the incident raised alarm bells for a shop owner whose security cameras captured the incident, one legal expert says simply holding pieces of what appears to be a firearm doesn't mean police can press charges.

Police say they responded to calls about a man attempting to assemble a rifle near Broadview Avenue and Dundas Street around 8:20 a.m. Wednesday in an emailed statement to CBC Toronto.

Officers did not press charges as there was no ammunition present and "the rifle was in pieces and inoperable," police said. They said the firearm parts were seized and wil

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