First Posted: 9/27/2013

LUMBERTON — A Lumberton man who made his way just inside the county courthouse with a shotgun on Wednesday faces several charges, including terrorism.

Terry Allen McVicker, 54, of Shawn Road, was stopped by deputies after entering the employees’ side entrance at the courthouse with a 12-gauge shotgun, according to Sheriff Kenneth Sealey.

McVicker was hiding the weapon behind his back when he was detained by deputies, Sealey said.

“He just cleared that door and he was stopped,” Sealey said. “He snuck in the side door used by staff and court employees.”

There are metal detectors at the public entrances of the courthouse.

“Those deputies did a great job … an excellent job,” Sealey said. “It could have been a terrible disaster if he had gotten beyond that point with a shotgun.”

Sealey said the weapon was seized by law enforcement. The incident occurred at about 3:30 p.m.

McVicker told investigators that he was trying to turn the gun into authorities because of problems at home. Sealey said it appears that McVicker had been drinking.

After McVicker was questioned for about 1o minutes at the Sheriff’s Office in the courthouse, he suffered a seizure. He was taken to Southeastern Regional Medical Center, where he remains hospitalized.

“About the time we got him downstairs and began to process him, he became ill,” Sealey said.

McVicker was charged with possession of a weapon by a felon, going to the terror of people and possession of a weapon on state property.

Sealey said information provided The Robesonian for a story published Thursday was incomplete because the investigation was ongoing.

McVicker was convicted in 1982 of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, according to the state Department of Correction records.

Sealey said he will meet with court personnel today to review security measures at the courthouse.

Scott Witten works for Civitas Media as the editor of The Red Springs Citizen and The St. Pauls Review.