Troubled man prompts school lockdowns

Police locked down Maricopa Wells Middle School and Maricopa Elementary School for about 45 minutes Tuesday as authorities searched for a man who told family members he intended to harm himself.

The schools were put on lockdown around 10 a.m. as a “precaution,” said Maricopa Police Department spokesman Ricky Alvarado. Police searched the Maricopa Meadows area, and as of 12:30 p.m., authorities had not located the man. 

“We still have officers in the area,” Alvarado said. 

Alvarado said police do not believe the man is armed or a danger to the public, but he advised residents to call authorities at 520-568-3673 if they see a person displaying suspicious behavior. 

Family members of the man told police he made “statements” Monday night of wanting to harm himself, Alvarado said. The man was staying at a house in Maricopa. When the issues from the night before flared again in the morning, the man got into a vehicle and left the home. That’s when family members called police. 

Maricopa Wells Principal Rick Abel informed parents through email and phone calls the school was put on a “teaching lockdown,” which means students continue to work inside locked classrooms. 

After the incident was over Abel said the school initially was put on a “true lockdown” in which students are kept away from windows and doors. Soon after, the school switched to the teaching lockdown. 

In a message to parents, Abel said police officers were checking out “a report of a problem in one of the parking lots near school.”  

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