The Pennsylvania State Police released more information about the incident that sparked today’s Jonestown Elementary lockdown.
Update February 8: The man has been identified as 23 year old Tyler Austin Weaber-Haag of Palmyra.
According to the release, the PSP received a call at 3pm regarding a suspicious male around 2400 Quarry Road in Swatara Township. The man had approached a child getting off a bus and initiated a seemingly bizarre conversation about cell phones before attempting to get into the child’s house. The man was stopped by the mother, who proceeded to make the initial call to police.
The man then walked towards Jonestown Elementary, where a second call to police was made around 3:18pm. The man followed a parent through the front door and entered the office, where the secretary asked who he was picking up and he said “I’m here for myself.”
After being told to leave, he ran through the school, being chased by the secretary. He told the employee, “You don’t want to do this,” before a parent became involved. The man repeated himself before exposing his waistband and exiting the school.
A crossing guard and a passerby pointed the way to the trooper, who then found the male, initiating a half mile foot pursuit through Jonestown Park. During the chase, the male pointed a weapon towards the trooper while yelling at him. The man reached the Jonestown Borough maintenance building where the man stole a small dump truck which he used to drive over a Jonestown Borough employee while escaping.
The employee was later taken to Hershey Medical Center.
Spike stripes at Greble and Swatara Roads were used to end the vehicle pursuit, with a Pursuit Intervention Technique deployed at 78 Greble Road. A holster was found on the man, along with a gun a short distance away.
The man is charged with Aggravated Assault, Possession of Weapon on School Property, Attempted Burglary, and Fleeing and Eluding.
