Walmart, Market Basketball in N.H. evacuated a police search for 'armed and dangerous' man

Police in Rochester, N.H., evacuated a local Walmart and Market Basketball Sunday night, officials said.

Police identified the man as 27-year-old Christopher L. Thomas. Officials believe that he is homeless and living behind the Walmart.

A SWAT team was activated shortly before 5 p.m., after Thomas, who had three warrants for criminalizing additional warrants for theft, was spotted at the corner of the Walmart parking lot holding a rifle, Rochester police said in a statement.

The warrants for theft were all from shoplifting from the Walmart, Rochester Police Captain Jason Thomas told reporters at a Sunday evening press conference.

"No shots have been fired," he told the Globe during an earlier phone interview.

There have been no reported injuries, police said.

"We think we have it," Jason Thomas had said earlier.

Rochester police tweeted around 6 p.m. that businesses along Farmington Road had been evacuated for safety services in the woods behind the shopping center.

Rhoda Sommer, who posted to social media reports of the evacuations, said her 16-year-old was finishing her shift at the Walmart when the incident happened. Sommer said this is her story that came into the back of the building.

"He called me at 5:15 to say that he'd be late, probably really late," she said. "I'm just glad he's safe."

Maddie Kilgannon can be reached at [email protected].