WESTBROOK, Maine — Police are continuing to investigate an incident that prompted Westbrook High School to go into a "lockout" Friday afternoon.
Shortly before 12:30 p.m. Friday, police received a call from a concerned citizen saying a 19-year-old Scarborough man, described as being suicidal and in possession of a firearm, was on his way to Westbrook High School, Westbrook Police Chief Sean Lally told NEWS CENTER Maine.
Lally said the man's motive is unknown and under investigation, but he did have an associate who is a Westbrook High School student.
Westbrook police notified the school resource officer at the high school, and the school administration immediately placed the school in a "lockout," meaning nobody was allowed in or out of the school and students stayed in their classrooms.
Just seven minutes after receiving the call, Westbrook police located the man in his car on Hannaford Drive.
"A handgun was recovered from the subject’s car," Lally said. "The officers took the male subject into protective custody for a mental health evaluation."
After the man was apprehended, the school's "lockout" was lifted.
"Because of information shared by WPD, the school was placed in a secure lockout - front doors were locked so that no one was allowed in or out of the school and students stayed in their classrooms. It was resolved within about 10 minutes," Westbrook Superintendent Peter Lancia told NEWS CENTER Maine.
The Westbrook Police Department's Criminal Investigation Division is continuing to investigate this incident.
