What appeared to be man with a rifle in a Cocoa neighborhood Thursday, which prompted the lockdown of an elementary school and a police tactical response, turned out to be a man shooting at squirrels, police said.

  • Cocoa neighborhood resident reported seeing man with rifle
  • Police tactical units responded, locked down nearby school
  • Man in home said he was shooting at squirrels with BB gun

Just before 9 a.m., police got a call from a concerned resident who reported seeing a man with a rifle at a home on the 1200 block of Yale Lane, they said in a news release.

Responding officers didn't find a gunman, so they secured a perimeter around the given address and locked down Cambridge Elementary School two blocks away.

After about 90 minutes, officers got the resident of the home to come out without incident. He told them he had a BB gun and was trying to shoot squirrels that were getting in his attic.

“The citizen absolutely did the right thing in calling," police Det. Debra Titkanich said. "We want people to immediately report suspicious activity so we can make sure everything is safe."