A Delaware man was apprehended outside a Westfield elementary school when he was found to be in possession of a handgun and numerous rounds of ammunition Thursday afternoon, after classes had let out for the day, acting Union County Prosecutor Jennifer Davenport announced Friday.
According to police, Mr. Thomas J. Wilkie, 46, of Bear, Delaware, is charged with second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, fourth-degree possession of hollow-point bullets, and fourth-degree trespassing on school grounds.
Police say at approximately 3:55 p.m. on Thursday, Westfield Police Department patrol officers and detectives responded to Tamaques Elementary School on a report from the New Castle County Police Department in Delaware that a man later identified as Wilkie was en route to the school and may be armed, according to the preliminary investigation.
The school was placed on lockdown as a precautionary measure, and to identify any other potential threats according to police.
Arriving officers located Wilkie in the front seat of his vehicle, a 2019 Mitsubishi SUV, parked in the school’s parking lot, holding a .45-caliber handgun loaded with hollow-point bullets.
Two additional loaded clips of ammunition were recovered from Wilkie’s person, while 130 additional rounds of ammunition were located in the vehicle’s trunk.
Wilkie was lodged in Union County Jail pending a first appearance and detention hearing scheduled to take place the morning of Wednesday, June 19.
Convictions on second-degree criminal charges are commonly punishable by 5 to 10 years in state prison.
These criminal charges are mere accusations.
Each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.