Man accused of carrying gun near Berwick Elementary

A Berwick man was charged with possession of a firearm in a firearm-free zone Thursday after police received a report of a man carrying a rifle near Berwick Elementary School, Police Chief James Richard said.

The school was placed on cautionary lockdown for 5 minutes, but no threats were made that would’ve put anyone in danger. The suspect told police he just carrying his rifle home, Richard said.

Paul Wiggins Jr., 48, of Second Street in Berwick, was arrested at 9 a.m. Thursday on a charge of possession of a firearm in a firearm-free zone.

On Thursday morning, Berwick’s animal warden reported that a man was walking on Texas Street with a rifle slung over his shoulder in the vicinity of Berwick Elementary School, Richard said.

A police officer responded to the scene and located Wiggins walking on the edge of the street directly in front of the front doors of the elementary school, the chief said.

Wiggins was detained, and police learned that Wiggins had been carrying a bolt action .270-caliber rifle, Richard said. Wiggins told police that he was coming from another place where his vehicle was parked and was bringing the gun home, the chief said.

The officer then disarmed Wiggins and arrested him on a charge of possession of a firearm in a firearm-free zone.

“There was no belief that any threat to anyone or the school was ever an issue,” Richard said. “He simply was just walking down the street.”

Officials had placed Berwick Elementary on cautionary lockdown until the incident was resolved, which took about 5 minutes, Richard said.

School officials sent out a mass text to parents after the incident to let them briefly know what occurred, he said. Wiggins posted $750 bail.