11 NJ School Threats, Some With Guns, Made In Past 2 Weeks

NEW JERSEY — In the aftermath of the deadly school shooting at a Michigan high school last month, New Jersey has seen at least 11 threats and even two incidents involving students bringing guns to school.

In the past two weeks, schools in New Jersey reported 11 threats and two incidents of students bringing guns to school in Somerset, Hudson, Ocean, Glouster and Mercer counties.

Three threats were reported in Bridgewater, Cherry Hill, and Jersey City on Tuesday — which was the ninth anniversary of the deadly shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut where 20 children and six women were killed.

Students at Lindenwold High School and at Lawrence Township High School in Mercer County were recently caught bringing guns to school. The student in Lawrence had a loaded handgun.

In Jersey City, Dickinson High School received threats from students two days in a row. In a threat on Tuesday, a student vowed to "shoot the school" in a text message that was posted on Instagram.

All of these threats follow the Nov. 30 shooting at Oxford High School in Michigan where four students were killed and seven other people were wounded when a student with a handgun opened fire.

"Unfortunately, this is the world we live in," said Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District Superintendent Robert Beers in regard to the threat at his district.

The New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness confirmed an increase in incidents, although it does not release specific school-related suspicious activity reporting data, due to the sensitive nature of the information.

"We can confirm an increase in school-related suspicious activity reporting over the past two weeks; however, statistics for threats made on social media platforms remain stagnant," said NJOHSP spokeswoman Maria Prato.

Anyone who observes suspicious behavior, school-related or otherwise, is asked to contact local law enforcement or the NJOHSP Counterterrorism Watch Desk at 866-4-SAFE-NJ or tips@njohsp.gov.

The public can also visit the New Jersey Suspicious Activity Reporting page, which includes a list of 15 suspicious activity indicators and a recent school-related public service announcement video at NJOHSP.gov.

• Read More: Oxford High School Shooting: 3 Dead Among 11 Shot
• More: Threat At Bridgewater-Raritan High School Was 'Generic': Police
• More: Threats Continue For Second Day At Jersey City High School
• More: Jersey City Teen In Custody After Online Threats To School
• More: Police Investigate Threat Made To New Brunswick High School
• More: Police Investigate Graffiti In Bathroom Of Mercer Co. School
• More: Shooting Threat Found In Bathroom At East Windsor School District
• More: Lawrence High School Student Found With Loaded Handgun: Police
• More: Shooting Threat Prompts Evacuation At Ocean City High School
• More: Manchester Schools To Reopen Monday After Threat Investigation
• More: Brick Police Investigate Lake Riviera Middle School Threat

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