WILLSBORO N.Y. They locked their doors some armed themselves and in at least one case launched a casual search for two convicted murderers who escaped from a nearby prison.
Everybody s ready said Douglas Ferris 56 years old who gave his wife a repeating rifle and a quick tutorial on how to use it as a massive manhunt for the escapees keeps locals on edge.
Mr. Ferris an engineer who was tending bar late Tuesday at a bowling alley whose building he co owns counted a handful of relatives who had their firearms at the ready in case they encounter Richard Matt 48 and David Sweat 34 who escaped Clinton Correctional Facility in nearby Dannemora N.Y. late last week.
On Tuesday this tiny town along Lake Champlain became the center of a national media spotlight after residents reported seeing two men in Willsboro. Law enforcement officers searched a field in photos widely shown on the news and shared on social media.
Facebook FB 1.85 % is blowing up with what s going on around here said Reginald Christian 20 the on duty supervisor at the Champlain Valley Senior Community assisted living facility of 58 residents that was on lockdown earlier in the day as the dragnet descended. It s putting us on the map.
Mr. Christian is among those who have begun locking their homes and vehicles in recent days. He can t remember locking his pickup truck in the last two years he has owned it (he usually keeps the keys in the car). He s been locking his doors at home too he said.
The escape has been the talk of the town including at open mic night at the bowling alley in Willsboro. Residents say it is fueling rumors and speculation how the fugitives might be trying to get away.
Quentin Gillilland 23 the Willsboro town supervisor s son said he went out late Tuesday night and searched darkened wilderness with a spotlight in his car. But his informal search turned up nada he said neither a residual police presence nor anything else of interest.
I m not doing anything else might as well do it he said.
Mr. Gillilland speculated the rain Tuesday night might have aided the convicts escape.
He surmised the rain could have obscured any infrared sensors law enforcement might use to track them throw off police dogs and make it more difficult to see plants they may have trampled on their paths.
Mr. Gillilland said he suspected the pair would head south between the Adirondack mountains and Lake Champlain or perhaps following railroad tracks.
They re just going to keep going down the corridor he said.
The bugs this time of year especially black flies could drive them nuts added Mr. Ferris who predicted the landscape would prove a formidable challenge for Messrs. Matt and Sweat.
It s beautiful but it can be very unforgiving if you re unprepared Mr. Ferris said.
Write to Andrew Tangel at Andrew.Tangel wsj.com
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