The man whose alleged hatchet-wielding antics prompted a school lockdown Wednesday has turned himself in to law enforcement, El Cajon Police say.
Officers began an extensive search for Christopher J. Wilson, 19, Wednesday afternoon after police say he got into a confrontation with a homeowner and pulled a hatchet from his backpack. The confrontation happened about a block away from Fletcher Hills Elementary School.
No one was injured in the argument, and Wilson soon left the scene.
Witnesses reported he crossed school grounds as he walked with the hatchet, which pushed administrators to lock down Fletcher Hills Elementary for about 15 minutes.
There was never any direct threat to students, police say.
During their search, officers surrounded Wilson’s home. His mother was called in to coax him out using a bullhorn, but when police swept the building, they could find no sign of Wilson.
Their hunt turned up nothing through the night and the following morning.
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Around 11:50 a.m. Thursday, Wilson walked into the El Cajon Police Department and voluntarily surrendered himself.
He was arrested on suspicion of having a weapon on school grounds and for making criminal threats.
Neighbor Jeff Stratton, who has known Wilson since he was a child, told NBC 7 the suspect is always nice, polite and cordial to him.
He said Wilson does not have a violent tendency.
"It troubles me a lot to see a kid that I look at almost -- when he used to hang around, he was almost like one of my kids. Now I find this happening. If I had seen him walking around here, I would have walked up and said, 'Give me the hatchet. What are you thinking?'" said Stratton.
El Cajon Police will continue the investigation.
