STOCKTON SPRINGS, Maine — A gunman who had been on the lam for a week held 11 fifth-graders hostage at a school Friday but was tackled outside a classroom without any harm to the children, police said.
Randall Hofland, 55, had released all the students and had turned over a loaded gun to one of the young hostages before he was arrested at Stockton Springs Elementary School, authorities said.
He was taken to jail. All of the school’s pupils, about 80, were taken by bus to an elementary school in neighboring Searsport.
“These children are very brave. They did a tremendous job,” Gov. John Baldacci said.
The gunman walked into a fifth-grade classroom around the start of the day.
State police were called at 8:42 a.m., and Hofland was arrested about 20 minutes later after he was tackled by a state trooper.
Hofland was the object of a manhunt that began on the night of Oct. 23 after he allegedly pointed a gun at a police officer who stopped him during a seat-belt safety check in Searsport. Hofland drove off, eventually abandoning his car in a field.
Hofland was charged Friday with criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon in the Oct. 23 traffic stop. Police and prosecutors were meeting to discuss charges related to the school hostage situation.
Hofland had lived in the area for about seven years, most recently in a trailer off a dirt road, Searsport Police Chief Dick LaHaye said. LaHaye said he was aware of reports that Hofland may have posted comments on an Internet message board questioning whether police had the right to stop motorists at roadblocks.
