Man Threatened To 'Shoot Kids In School': Groton Police

GROTON, CT — A man threatened to use a family member's gun "to shoot the kids in the school" and is now facing charges, according to police.

Town of Groton police officers responded to a business on Long Hill Road on Jan. 2 for a well-being check. The caller, a family member, was concerned for the well-being of Jacob Clarke, 31.

The family member told officers he and Clarke had been walking in the area of Thames River Magnet School at around 6 p.m. when the school’s public address system went off.

This caused Clarke to become agitated and say to the family member he was going to grab the family member’s gun and use it to shoot the kids in the school, police said.

Clarke also told the family member he had thoughts of harming himself. There were no kids in the school at the time.

A law enforcement search found a tent shelter belonging to Clarke and his family member in the woods next to Kolnaski Elementary School. Police conducted a search and found a gun, which police seized as evidence and was used in another investigation.

Police found Clarke on Jan. 3 at about 1:40 a.m. in the area of 470 Gold Star Highway. He was taken to Lawrence & Memorial Hospital for evaluation.

School officials were briefed on the incident. Police said that "it is important to note that school was not in session when the alleged statement was made by Clarke and he was located by police prior to the start of school on Friday, January 9th."

Clarke was charged with first-degree threatening/hazard to terrorize and second-degree breach of peace. He was released after posting $50,000 cash/surety. He is scheduled to appear in New London Superior Court on Jan. 16.

In a related matter, police served a warrant Wednesday at 7:51 p.m. at 470 Gold Star Highway for the arrest of Justus Clarke. The unsecured gun had been found in his tent shelter which is in a wooded area off of Poquonnock Road on land that is the property of the Groton Board of Education.

He was charged with failure to store firearm, reckless endangerment, and possession of a weapon on school property.

He was held on $200,000 cash/surety bond and scheduled for arraignment Thursday.