FAIRBANKS — Fort Wainwright’s Arctic Light Elementary School and surrounding buildings were put on lockdown Friday afternoon as law enforcement searched for, and eventually apprehended, an armed man.
The lockdown began about 10:30 a.m., when authorities received an anonymous report of a man with a firearm “in the vicinity” of the school, Fort Wainwright spokeswoman Connie Storch said.
The man was detained for questioning at about 11:15 a.m. in the school parking lot. The man was not violent when law enforcement contacted him, Storch said.
Classes went on as normal during the lockdown, but no one was allowed to enter or leave Arctic Light.
The school was secured within minutes of the first report. Between 18 and 20 emergency responders, about half of them Fairbanks police officers, responded to the post, Storch said.
When the man was contacted, he had several firearms in his vehicle, including a shotgun and a rifle. The firearms were registered and had been secured for transport.
An Army news release about the incident did not indicate whether the man was a soldier, a civilian employee of the post or someone who did not have permission to be on the post.
The man, who has not been identified, was detained for questioning.
Though the suspect was taken into custody soon after law enforcement was dispatched, the lockdown remained in place until 1:30 p.m. No injuries were reported and no shots were fired during the incident.
“We wanted to make sure everything was secure,” Storch said.
Civilians and military personnel are required to register firearms with the post before bringing them on to Fort Wainwright. Soldiers and civilians are prohibited from carrying weapons on post but are allowed to transport guns to authorized firing ranges, hunting areas or their homes, Storch said.
Under Alaska law, it is a misdemeanor to possess a firearm on school grounds without the permission of a school or school district administrator.
A woman who said she works on post near the school, but declined to identify herself, said a seven-person SWAT team was seen entering the woods near the school building about 12:30 p.m.
Fairbanks North Star Borough School District spokesman Robinson Duffy did not provide any additional information about the incident.
Fort Wainwright police are wanting to speak to the person who anonymously notified authorities about the man. The person is asked to call 361-TIPS (361-8477) or visit the Fort Wainwright police department.
More information about the incident likely will be available Tuesday, after the Labor Day weekend, Storch said.
regardless, anything that might be interpreted to look like a gun is assumed dangerous, and Standard operation procedure is to go to lock down.
SuzieQ632 says:
"Having the right to bare arms-which I support by the way-. . . "
Couldn't agree more. In fact, I believe in the right to bare legs, and am even wearing shorts as I type this.
That is what makes the situation scary. So many bad things happen when the wrong people commit horrid acts with guns. The people saying that this was an over reaction are saying so after the "facts" have been known. Which scenario is better: Having the surrounding area in lock down until the situation is known and controlled. Or Having the the media release another news story about mass shooting in a school and no one did anything to stop it?
Having the right to bare arms-which I support by the way- doesn't mean we don't or shouldn't react to a potentially violent situation where our children are concerned.
Basically, someone was seen with a gun, the tipster called the tipline. Cops showed up and verified it wasn't an issue at all.
I see no crimes, i just see cops doing their job and some random tipster overreacting.
"Under Alaska law, it is a misdemeanor to possess a firearm on school grounds without the permission of a school or school district administrator."
This state statute is unconstitutional. To illustrate the point, try this substitute:
"Under Alaska law, it is a misdemeanor to engage in free speech on school grounds without the permission of a school or school district administrator."
§ 19. Right to Keep and Bear Arms
"A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. The individual right to keep and bear arms shall not be denied or infringed by the State or a political subdivision of the State."
Yes, school districts are political subdivisions of the state.
The rights recognized by the Constitution are not granted by government. These are rights we are born with- endowed by our creator. Just because dimwitted and corrupt legislators wrote a bad statute that is clearly unconstitutional does not mean we have to follow it.
Like I said earlier - "Maybe we should wait until all the facts are out before making a prejudicial comment ...".
Alaska's Careline might be a good resource for your friends.
Their services are confidential and free. In Fairbanks, their number is 452-4357; statewide is 1-877-266-4357. HTH.
Thank you for your sacrifice and your service.
You should all get together at the complainers meeting
NO, I do not think the police presence was overreactive.
The article, however, slightly over dramatized what seems to have been the case.
I also have children in two of the schools in the area and again repeat; I wouldn't think it was a scary situation if a non-threatening, non-violent person had a weapon or weapons “registered and secured for transport” in their possession.
I am sorry that you feel that way - I hope you don't take your children anywhere the people of Fairbanks may be armed (legally) at any given time. Not me but many others.
My point is very relavent. I've had to call the troopers twice about this soldier becuase he has made terroristic threats against my family. He refuses to seek counseling for his PTSD, so Im sure one day he will snap and pull the trigger in anger.
As far as my opinion goes,what is the point of these discussions if you cant express an opinion.
Oh ya, I am a disabled vet who lost most of my right leg in Iraq. I know the caliber of our Troops. I'm just saying there are a bunch of soldiers who NEED counseling for PTSD and other mental health issues, but are afraid to seek help for fear of losing there job or thier unit making a spectical out of them. I personally know about that!
The person who reported the incident said, "The man had a gun in his waist band."
This is an ELEMENTARY school. Some of these kids are 5 years old. When you are suddenly not allowed out of your classroom, when a voice announces over the intercom that the school is locked down, when the windows are covered up, it makes it an uncertain situation.
I DON'T think the school district over reacted. As a parent with children in three different schools in this district, I appreciate that safety measures were taken until the district were SURE there was not a danger to the children at Arctic Light. I would hope the administrators at other schools in the district would do the same.
Afghanisatan,
I understand completely that he could have been picking up his child to go huning with him, or that is an upstanding citizen in the FWW or Fairbanks area. That doesnt justify him carrying his weapon onto school grounds. I understand that he might have been trying to save time for his weekend hunting trip, or maybe a range trip to show his child how to shoot, but at the same time i dont understand why someone would feel it was a threat if there wasnt one. In his defense, i didnt know that there was a law about carrying weapons onto school grounds either. But in the "tipsters" defense, especially after columbine, the fort hood shootings, and all other situations this country has in its past, i cant say i would do it differant. I however dont know what the circumstances were, or why the Tipster felt it was a threat. That being said i honestly cant say i would have done the same thing, i withdrawl the statement i would have. i think that the FWW and Fairbanks police did what they are trained to do. Serve and preotect. This man is probably a great person,almost every soldier i know is. I for one am not judging him, or saying that he had intentions of shooting the whole base up. He has that right to bear arms, and i strongly believe that as a citizen of the same community and country as all of us, he was excersizing that right. I COMPLETELY agree that this situation was overreacted. Earlier i posted that i was informed AFTER the situation was under control. Looking back, i must withdrawl my statement about not being notified. The FWW police obviously didnt think that it was important to put the whole base on lockdown and notify everyone, and i respect that decision.
Really, was it a scary situation for the students? I thought "classes went on as normal".
If it was a scary situation as described by some of the comments;
What made it scary, was it the guy with the firearms that "were registered and secured for transport"? Or was it the teams of police all around the parking lot, buildings, and nearby tree line?
I do have children in the school system and no, I wouldn't think it was a scary situation if a non-threatening, non-violent person had a weapon or weapons “registered and secured for transport” in their possession.
By the way this is a misdemeanor under Alaska law, “to possess a firearm on school grounds without the permission of a school or school district administrator”. To all of you that believe this was a scary situation, how would you feel if he had called prior to coming to the school to get permission to pick his child up with weapons “registered and secured for transport”?
I guess he should have called ahead or is verbal permission not acceptable.
Has the man been released? What charges is he facing and how much time is he facing?
We are so worried about this man that tried to follow all of the rules by having his weapons “registered and secured for transport” and we don’t do anything or say anything about the gang and drug violence plaguing this city. Now there is a crime the police should be coming out in force on – on and off post.