A US man, found to be in possession of a handgun and numerous rounds of ammunition, was apprehended on Thursday outside an elementary school in Westfield, New Jersey, authorities said on Friday.

Thomas J. Wilkie, 46, of Bear, Delaware, is charged with second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, fourth-degree possession of hollow-point bullets, and fourth-degree trespassing on school grounds, said a press release issued by the Union County Prosecutor's Office.

At approximately 3:55 p.m. local time (1955 GMT) on Thursday, patrol officers from Westfield Police Department and detectives responded to a report which says a man later identified as Wilkie was en route to Tamaques Elementary School and may be armed, the preliminary investigation shows.

The school was placed on lockdown as a precautionary measure, and to identify any other potential threats.

Police officers located Wilkie in the front seat of his truck parked in the school's parking lot with a 45-caliber handgun loaded with hollow-point bullets.

Two additional loaded clips of ammunition were recovered on Wilkie, while 130 additional rounds of ammunition were located in his vehicle.

Wilkie was taken into police custody and is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday.

If found guilty, he could face a jail term of up to 10 years.