Plumsted Teen Threatened Shooting At 2nd School: Affidavit

TOMS RIVER, NJ – A 19-year-old accused of threatening to shoot up a high school graduation last week also allegedly threatened to kill classmates at an Ocean County vocational school, according to court documents.

Matthew V. Vanderbeek, 19, of Plumsted Township, was arrested Wednesday and charged with third-degree terroristic threats with a threat to kill and second-degree attempting to possess a firearm for an unlawful purpose, authorities said Thursday.

Vanderbeek is accused of threatening to shoot and kill students and staff of New Egypt High School during the graduation ceremony that was held Thursday evening. But that plot was foiled when threats were reported to school administrators, the Ocean County prosecutor's office said Thursday when the arrest was announced. (READ MORE: Teen Planned Shooting At New Egypt HS Graduation: Authorities)

But a month earlier, Vanderbeek allegedly threatened to do the same to the graduation at the Brick center of the Ocean County Vocational-Technical School, according to the probable cause affidavit filed with the court and obtained by Patch.

The affidavit says Vanderbeek was suspended from school for nine days in May and placed on home instruction, while also being "permanently removed" from the vocational school. The school discipline occurred after alleged threats by Vanderbeek in late April to "shoot up" the vocational school graduation as well as several social media posts that were derogatory about students and staff at the vocational school, the affidavit alleges. Vanderbeek allegedly told students orange was a safe color to wear to graduation, according to the affidavit. It was not immediately clear whether the threat to the vocational school was reported to law enforcement.

In connection with Vanderbeek's alleged threat to the New Egypt graduation, the affidavit alleges Vanderbeek posted threatening messages on Snapchat.

One Snapchat video allegedly from Vanderbeek is described as a clip from the animated TV show “South Park,” of an episode where the characters have rifles and are loading a handgun. The clip was captioned “Where do you see yourself in 10 years?” at the start, followed by “I see myself dead in the end” at the clip’s conclusion, according to the affidavit.

A second Snapchat clip allegedly from Vanderbeek is described as showing a background picture of a green-and-black biohazard symbol with a quote: “It will become fine dust among the land of Egypt with boils breaking out on man and beast exitis-99.” That quote allegedly is a reference to Exodus 9:9, a Bible verse that talks about ending the world and killing people, the affidavit said.

Vanderbeek reportedly dyed his hair red (it is unclear what color his hair is from the Ocean County Corrections mug shot). The affidavit alleges that when others asked why he dyed his hair, Vanderbeek allegedly said he did so because he was influenced by a school shooter who had red hair. Vanderbeek also is alleged to have said he was going to “shoot up the school” on graduation day during those conversations, the affidavit said.

The red hair appears to be a reference to the shooter who killed 17 students and staff members at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on Valentine’s Day.

Vanderbeek also allegedly asked for a ride to a sporting goods store so he could purchase a firearm, according to the affidavit. The person he allegedly asked said no, the affidavit said.

Students shared the alleged threats by Vanderbeek to New Egypt's graduation via text messages, according to the affidavit, and authorities said Vanderbeek’s plot was foiled when students contacted the administration at New Egypt High School on Tuesday and reported the text messages.

Administrators contacted Plumsted police, who then contacted the prosecutor’s office. Plumsted Detective Anthony Ringle and Detective Brant Uricks from the prosecutor's office investigated, and after a search warrant was obtained for Vanderbeek's home, evidence was found that that showed he was trying to obtain a firearm, Al Della Fave, spokesman for the prosecutor’s office, said Thursday when the arrest was announced.

The search of Vanderbeek’s home included assistance from the Ocean County Sheriff's Office's CSI, as well as a K-9 capable of detecting the presence of firearms or ammunition, he said.

Vanderbeek was still being held at the Ocean County Jail in Toms River, according to the Ocean County Corrections website.

Matthew V. Vanderbeek, photo via Ocean County Corrections website