A welfare check turned into a lockdown Monday afternoon after a 19-year-old showed up near a school with a gun, Alaska State Troopers say.
The Wasilla man was charged with second-degree misconduct involving a weapon, a felony, after he was found near Burchell High School with a semi-automatic rifle, court records show.
Monday around 10:30 a.m., trooper Jason Crockett said he responded to a home for a welfare check of a reportedly suicidal man, but wasn’t able to locate the 19-year-old, according to a sworn affidavit.
A little before 2 p.m., Crockett responded to Burchell for a report of a silent panic alarm coming from the school, the affidavit says. A student had notified the principal that something could be “amiss” and the school was placed on lockdown, lasting about 30 minutes, according to Mat-Su Borough School District spokeswoman Catherine Esary.
The man, who had the gun with him in his car, was reported to be in the Wasilla Bible Church parking lot, which is behind Burchell High and offers a clear view of the bus-loading area.
Authorities tried to contact the man, who “was making furtive movements inside the car and reached numerous times into the back seat area of the car,” which is where he said his weapon was, the affidavit says.
An officer approached the driver’s window holding a window punch, Crockett wrote. As the officer pressed the device against the glass, the man reached for the rifle in the backseat, causing two officers to fear for their lives and safety, according to the affidavit. He was told to put the gun down, which had a 30-round magazine loaded with 21 rounds of ammunition.
The officer broke the window with the punch and a Taser was used to disable the man. He was also charged with two counts of third-degree assault for causing the officers to fear for their lives.
After he was in custody, the man said: “I wasn’t going to hurt you guys, you freaked me out and I didn’t know what to do,” Crockett wrote.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255).