Threats made against 2 New Jersey high schools cause lockdowns, police presence
PHILADELPHIA - Two New Jersey high schools in neighboring districts were placed on lockdown Friday after authorities say the schools received threats of violence that named specific employees.
A massive police response converged on Williamstown High School around 6:30 a.m. Officers armed with long guns guarded the school entrance, as parents were alerted via text that a security threat was being investigated.
According to police, the school principal received an email that threatened violence against the school and named specific faculty members. The school immediately entered lockdown with between 20-30 students inside, and incoming buses were redirected to St. Matthews Baptist Church.
Chief Administrator Diane Gordon said some students were allowed inside the gym.
"We live in fear and that’s a bad place to be every day," Gordon said "We’re just afraid it could happen anywhere, so I can imagine the trauma that those students felt."
Later in the day, authorities responded to nearby Winslow High School after police say they also received a threatening email that called out specific employees. All schools in the Winslow Township School District were locked down as a precaution.
"With school violence we take nothing for granted we take every threat seriously, but I will tell you that they will be investigated and once found out they will be swiftly prosecuted," Monroe Township Police Department Chief Craig Monahan said.
In a Friday afternoon update, police said the faculty members named in the threatening email are not members of the Monroe Township School District. The employees, according to police, work in a neighboring district and local authorities were notified.
The investigation also deduced that the threats did not originate from inside the state of New Jersey. Police urged the public not to trust rumors about the threats that have circulated on social media.
"We would like to reiterate that social media is not the correct platform to circulate information, so innocent people are not falsely accused," the letter read. "Parents, teachers, and student also need to understand that spreading gossip, rumors and hearsay on social media wastes countless hours investigating misinformation."
The school threats struck disturbingly close to home for students and parents who are still trying to process the overwhelming tragedy that unfolded at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas over a week ago.
The shooting that claimed the lives of 19 children and two teachers happened just days after another gunman killed 10 people at a supermarket in Buffalo. The tragedies have ignited politicians and activists to demand legislative intervention, which President Joe Biden doubled down on during a recent address to the nation.