A man was arrested Thursday after causing damage and threatening staff at the Center for Student Learning Charter School at Pennsbury, according to police.
Advertisements
Tullytown Borough police were dispatched to the school on Lakeside Drive in the Levittown section of the borough around 3 p.m. for reports of an armed individual on the grounds. The man—identified as 31-year-old Eugene Donnelly, of Levittown—was reportedly armed with a wooden post and had been threatening staff and causing property damage, authorities said.
Arriving at the scene, an officer noted a shattered glass window on a side door of the building, police said.
Entering the school, officers encountered Donnelly in a hallway holding a desk over his head. He was visibly agitated and challenged the officers, yelling “come and get me” while brandishing a wooden post, which was studded with screws, police said.
Advertisements
Donnelly demanded to be shot or Tased by officers, police said.
Donnelly eventually threw the post to the ground and complied with officers’ instructions, police said.
Advertisements
The 31-year-old man was taken into custody by officers, police said.
A walkthrough of the school with staff revealed damage. Furniture, electronic equipment, and classroom materials were scattered or destroyed across two hallways and four classrooms. The rampage also left glass and debris in the public charter school, police said.
School CEO Peter Hackney provided a statement to the officers that said he and another staff member confronted Donnelly near a classroom. Hackney described how Donnelly, who was wielding the spiked wooden post and told them to back off, police said.
Advertisements
Hackney was able to lock himself in a bathroom to call for help while Donnelly struck a water fountain with the wooden post, police said.
A teacher told officers Donnelly was swinging the wooden post at him and stated, “Why do these boys and girls deserve a good life? Send them out.”
Advertisements
The teacher stated Donnelly swung the wooden post and said, “You think I won’t?” police said.
The teacher made their way into an office and held the door closed while Donnelly banged the wooden post into the door before turning his attention to another classroom, police said.
Advertisements
Donnelly was reported to have been ranting about his own childhood and calling for Lucifer while in the school, police said.
Video surveillance reviewed by the officers showed Donnelly arriving at the school armed with the wooden post, which he swung at windows. He then picked up an object, which was believed to have been a brick, to break a window and gain entry to the building, police said.
No one inside the school was injured.
Advertisements
Donnelly was brought before on-call District Judge Frank Peranteau Sr. Thursday night and preliminarily arraigned on charges of burglary, criminal trespassing, institutional vandalism of an educational facility, institutional vandalism of personal property, possession of an instrument of crime with intent, and terroristic threats. He was held on 10 percent of $100,000 bail.
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated to correct that the school is a public charter school.
Advertisements
Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.
Report a correction via email | Editorial standards and policies
