A 13-year-old Lincoln Middle School student has been charged with criminal threatening and terrorizing following a reported gun incident that led Portland police to place three public schools in lockdown for an hour Friday afternoon.

The incident occurred around noon outside Longfellow Elementary School on Stevens Avenue, Lt. Robert Martin said in a written statement. Minutes earlier, one student allegedly approached another student, lifted his shirt to reveal a handgun tucked into the waist of his pants and threatened to use it on others.

Because of Longfellow’s proximity to Deering High School and Lincoln Middle School, all three schools were placed on lockdown while police searched the area for a suspect, Martin said. However, most students had left prior to the lockdown because classes had been dismissed early for the last day of school.

Police arrested the suspect shortly after 1 p.m. in nearby Evergreen Cemetery, Martin said. A realistic-looking pellet gun was found in the area and is believed to be the weapon that the student allegedly displayed, he said.

The student was released to the custody of his parents. The Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office will review the case.  Police worked closely with the Portland School Department throughout the incident.

“We are fortunate that students acted responsibly by alerting staff to this threat quickly,” Martin said. “They were able to provide critical details that ultimately led to a safe resolution.”

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