Milton schools on brief lockdown after incident at Dogfish Head

Mariner Middle, H.O. Brittingham and Milton Elementary schools were put on lockdown Sept. 13 after an incident at Dogfish Head Craft Brewery in Milton.

Cape Communications Coordinator Stephanie DeMalto said Delaware State Police notified the district about the incident around 11:40 a.m.

Milton police Chief Robert Longo said a report was made about an unwanted person on the Dogfish Head property. Erring on the side of caution, Longo said he notified the schools and a soft lockdown was ordered. Part of the Dogfish Head brewery was also evacuated. Upon investigation, Longo said it was determined that it was a case of mistaken identity, and the lockdown was lifted.

DeMalto said Cape Superintendent Bob Fulton notified parents of the district’s decision to put students on soft lockdown, which prevents anyone from entering or exiting the buildings. She said a little after noon, state police notified the district everything was fine. At that point, the lockdown was lifted and classes resumed their daily schedules. 

In a statement, Dogfish President and COO George Pastrana said, “We had a false alarm at the Milton Brewery today. In the spirit of ‘see something, say something’ we asked local authorities to respond to our facility. The Milton police quickly reported, took charge and proceeded to do what they do best. It was indeed a false alarm, but in all cases we’d rather err on the side of caution than not. The safety and well-being of coworkers and guests is paramount. Rest assured, we are now safely back at work, making great beer and entertaining our guests.”