Man behind suspicious visits to schools, churches served 9 trespassing notices

At least six more Hilton Head Island schools and churches have filed trespassing notices over concerns that a Canadian man -- whose unannounced visits to other schools and churches led to two lockdowns -- may soon visit their campuses, according to reports from the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office.

The man's visits to several area schools this week have led to lockdowns and left administrators and parents on edge, but no criminal activity has been identified, according to a Sheriff's Office news release sent Tuesday.

At least three locations the man has already visited -- St. Francis Catholic School, Junior Players Golf Academy, and All Saints Church -- filed trespassing notices this week after the man was picked up by deputies after reportedly causing a disturbance at about 10 a.m. at All Saints Church.

Six others -- Christ Lutheran Church, Island Lutheran Church Preschool, Providence Presbyterian Church, St. Andrews By the Sea Methodist Church, St. Luke's Methodist Church and Sea Pines Montessori School -- have also filed trespassing notices, citing the earlier incidents and concerns from parents that the man may soon stop there.

If the man does visit any of those locations, he can be charged with misdemeanor trespassing, a Sheriff's Office spokesman said Tuesday.

His appearance at St. Francis on Monday prompted a brief lockdown. Previously, the man had visited Church of the Cross and Cross Schools in Bluffton, St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church in Okatie, and Bluffton Self Help.

The Tuesday release identified the man as a citizen of Canada who is currently homeless. He has no criminal record in Beaufort County, according to court records.

When deputies spoke to him at All Saints Church, the man told authorities he had only been on Hilton Head for about a week and a half, the report said.

Bluffton police said Tuesday that the man was the subject of reports from Kingston Police Department in Canada for making threats, but none involved any arrests.

This story was originally published January 28, 2016 at 9:23 PM with the headline "Man behind suspicious visits to schools, churches served 9 trespassing notices."