Snap Chat Shooting Threat To Brick Memorial Unfounded, Police Chief Says

Talk of a threat to shoot students at Brick Memorial High School has “turned out to be nothing, “Brick Township Police Chief Rick Bergquist said Friday.

The threat made on Snap Chat has had students and parents on edge while authorities investigated the source of the post, which was shared around on the social media site earlier this week, according to parents who contacted the Patch.

“Unfortunately, these things tend to take on a life of their own on the the internet,” Bergquist said.

The threat said students attending Brick Memorial should wear red on Nov. 19, and that those who didn’t would be shot, parents told the Patch. The threat was captured in a screenshot and forwarded to Brick Township police. Snap Chat is a smartphone app that allows users to share photos or videos that disappear and is very popular among teens.

Bergquist said it has been traced to the individuals involved and they have been spoken to, and that police do not feel there is a threat.

“It turned out to be nothing,” he said.

“The administration worked with the Brick Township Police Department in the investigation of this unfortunate situation,” interim Superintendent Richard Caldes said. “It has been dealt with by both the school district and the police.”

Parents said they had received a letter from Brick Memorial High School Principal Jennifer Joseph that addressed the threat, but in very vague terms.

“I talked to the principal and she said she couldn’t discuss the details of the threat ’because we don’t want to cause a panic,’ “ said one mother, Anne, who asked that her last name be withheld. “But the panic is already there. My son said he’s not going to school that day.”

The letter, dated Nov. 3 and posted on Brick Memorial’s page on the school district website, said any threats to the school are taken seriously and treated with ”extreme caution.” It noted that Brick Township police are contacted but gave no information or indication that the siiuation had been resolved.

“Thank God,” Anne said, of hearing the news that it had been resolved. “Everything is hush-hush and it shouldn’t be. I want to know that my son is safe.”