UPDATE: Truck full of guns found on Savannah Beach; Police arrest armed felon

LEWES, Del. - A Maryland man was arrested Tuesday after police found several firearms, weapons, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition inside a truck abandoned on Lewes Beach. The incident led to a temporary secure status for nearby schools and increased security at a local hospital.

According to Lewes Police, the incident began early Tuesday, Sept. 23, around 12:30 a.m., when officers were dispatched to the 400 block of E. Savannah Road for a report of a suspicious male possibly experiencing a mental health crisis.

Upon arrival, officers encountered Alexander Gard, a 30-year-old from Maryland. Gard told officers that his truck had been stolen earlier while he was at the Wawa on Route 1 and that he was in the area looking for it. Police offered to transport him to Delaware State Police Troop 7 to file a report, but Gard declined, saying a friend was coming to pick him up.

Approximately six hours later, around 6:30 a.m., Lewes officers responded to a call about an abandoned Ford Raptor stuck in the sand at the foot of Savannah Road. The truck was found unsecured and without license plates. A computer check confirmed it was registered to Gard, the same individual contacted earlier in the night. Attempts to locate Gard at that time were unsuccessful.

Upon towing and searching the vehicle, police discovered three 9mm handguns, a tactical 12-gauge shotgun, an AR-15-style scoped rifle, multiple edged weapons, brass knuckles, and several hundred rounds of ammunition.

Due to the unknown whereabouts of the truck’s owner and the discovery of the weapons, the Cape Henlopen School District placed several nearby schools Fred Thomas Middle School, the Fred Thomas Building, Lewes Elementary School, and Cape Henlopen High School into a "secure status" out of an abundance of caution. Operations continued as normal inside the buildings, but safety protocols were heightened.

Beebe Healthcare also alerted staff Tuesday that it was increasing security at its facilities. The hospital noted there was no direct threat but said extra safety measures were being taken as a precaution.

Investigators quickly followed leads and used social media to determine that Gard was staying at an Airbnb outside Lewes. Around 10:30 a.m., Lewes Police, with assistance from Delaware State Police, located Gard at a residence on Minos Conaway Road. He was taken into custody without incident.

Gard, who reported to police that he is currently homeless, was found to be a convicted felon in the State of Virginia and is currently on probation in Maryland.

He was formally charged with:

• Five counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony by a person prohibited (Class B felony)

• Six counts of possession of a firearm or ammunition by a person prohibited due to a prior violent felony conviction (Class D felony)

Gard was arraigned and committed to Sussex Correctional Institution on $65,000 secured bail.

Lewes Police Chief Thomas Spell said that, at this time, investigators have no evidence of any larger plan or intent by Gard but confirmed that he was illegally possessing and transporting the weapons.

Riquella Wilson of Lewes said she was enjoying a morning at the beach when she realized just how close she had been to the abandoned truck.

"I thought it was absolutely crazy and scary."

Jessica, a visitor from Pennsylvania, said incidents like this are happening more often.

"You just don’t know. No matter where you are, you always have to have your head on a swivel and be very alert," she added. "Thankfully, the police got to him before he could do whatever he might have been planning to do."