Gunman Brought 130 Rounds Of Ammo To Westfield School: Prosecutor

WESTFIELD, NJ - A 46-year-old man who was caught in a Westfield Elementary School parking lot this week with a handgun had more than 130 rounds of ammunition – some of them hollow point bullets – with him, authorities said.

Thomas J. Wilkie of Bear, Del. has been charged with second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, fourth-degree possession of hollow-point bullets, and fourth-degree trespassing on school grounds, according to acting Union County Prosecutor Jennifer Davenport.

Wilkie was apprehended outside of Tamaques School where he was found with the gun and ammunition after classes had let out for the day, authorities said.

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 authorities.

The school was placed on lockdown as a precautionary measure, and to identify any other potential threats. Arriving officers located Wilkie in the front seat of his vehicle, a 2019 Mitsubishi SUV, parked in the school’s parking lot. He was holding a .45-caliber handgun loaded with hollow-point bullets, authorities said.

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, police said. 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, authorities said.

Assembly Republican Leader Jon Bramnick, a Westfield resident, credited the quick response by law enforcement for the arrest.

“This is law enforcement at its best,” said Bramnick. “Great coordination between police departments from different states put this gunman behind bars. Our community thanks them.”

This story is still developing and Patch will be updating it as soon as more information becomes available.

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