ROCKLAND — The Rockland man whose actions led to a school lockout Tuesday, May 29, said voices in his head told him to “go shoot up a school.”
Police conducted a search at the man’s home Tuesday afternoon and seized several high-powered rifles, according to Rockland Deputy Police Chief Christopher Young.
Young said an out-of-state acquaintance of the man contacted the Rockland Police Department and alerted officers to the threat made by the man.
The deputy chief said he immediately contacted the Knox County Sheriff’s Office to make sure that there were sufficient officers to guard each school in Rockland. Once officers were in place, police went to the man’s residence, where he was found.
The man said voices in his head told him to shoot up a school.
He was taken into protective custody by police and then taken to Pen Bay Medical Center in Rockport for a mental health evaluation. The deputy chief said if the man is determined to be able to be released from the psychiatric unit, he will immediately be charged with a crime.
A police officer will remain at Pen Bay until it is known whether the man is committed to the hospital. His name is not yet being released, since he has not been charged with a crime.
Police seized eight guns altogether — two were shotguns and five high-caliber hunting rifles. Young said the department had a prior contact with him but he has never been charged by the agency.
Officers responded Tuesday morning to Oceanside High School, South Elementary School and the regional Mid-Coast School of Technology, all located in Rockland.
Regional School Unit 13 Superintendent John McDonald said Rockland police said the threat was directed at Rockland schools, but he imposed the lockout on all RSU 13 schools as an added precaution. That would have included schools in Thomaston, Owls Head, South Thomaston and Cushing. The lockout began at about 10:45 a.m.
Doors to the schools remained locked, and students were not allowed outside.
Rockland Police Chief Bruce Boucher said the response worked well.
“When you train, it goes like clockwork,” Boucher said.
Rockland police also asked for assistance from Rockport police with the person being taken to Pen Bay.
The superintendent issued a statement at 11:22 a.m. that the lockout was over and schools were safe.
The RSU 13 Board and Rockland City Council have voted to support the Rockland Police Department seeking a grant to pay for an officer in the schools.
Boucher has said the earliest a school resource officer would be in the Rockland schools, if the city gets the grant, would be January 2019.
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