Harpswell Community School was put on temporary lockdown Wednesday morning as sheriff’s deputies responded to reports of an armed man in the area.
But the lockdown was lifted soon after, when Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office deputies determined the man was a local property owner hunting a pine marten — a type of weasel — that had been going after his chickens, a school official said.
The lockdown began mid-morning and was lifted around 11 a.m., according to alerts sent to parents and posts on the Maine School Administrative District 75 Facebook page. The district includes Harpswell, Topsham, Bowdoin and Bowdoinham.
The Sheriff’s Office confirmed in a news release issued Wednesday afternoon that the lockdown had been a case of mistaken identity. Deputies had believed the armed man was a “known person from the area (who) is not supposed to be in possession of guns,” but it turned out to be a neighbor who was merely protecting his chickens.
“The resident confirmed that he exited his house with a 22-caliber rifle and went out back of the house to defend his chickens that were being attacked,” the release said. “This subject committed no crimes and was not prohibited from possessing firearms.”
In a social media post, Community School Principal Anita Hopkins said the lockdown was an example of the school district’s security protocols working as intended. She praised students and staff for their handling of the incident.
“I want to emphasize how proud I am of all HCS students and staff for calmly and effectively navigating this situation,” Hopkins said. “They were rockstars!”
