STOCKTON SPRINGS, Maine – A 55-year-old man held 11 fifth-graders hostage Oct. 31. The man had been running from police.
At the beginning of the school day at Stockton Springs Elementary School, Randall Hofland walked into a classroom. By 8:42 a.m., Hofland released all the students and had given his gun to one of them. He was arrested 20 minutes later.
All 80 students at the K-5 school were taken by bus to a nearby school where they were questioned by police.
On Oct. 23, Hofland was pulled over by traffic police for a seat belt safety check in a neighboring city. He drove off, causing police to send an alert to all in the area. The following day, the elementary school was closed for out of concern for students’ safety.
No one was harmed during the incident.
For additional information:
- Gunman Arrested After Holding Fifth-Graders Hostage in Maine
- Maine Gunman Holds Fifth-Graders Hostage
- Gunman arrested after Maine students held hostage