NJ Police Remain On Alert As More School Gun Threats Possible

NEW JERSEY — As threats of school violence are expected to persist into the new year, police continue to remain on alert at New Jersey schools.

The most recent was a viral nationwide "challenge" on the social media app Tik Tok on Dec. 17.

"While the TikTok threat was deemed and proved to be noncredible, we anticipate that this will not be the last threat directed at New Jersey schools," said New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness spokeswoman Maria Prato.

As a result, the NJOHSP and the New Jersey State Police, advised local police to remain on alert and to continue communicating with their local school districts.

This added contact with schools will help police determine whether any additional law enforcement presence at the schools is needed, said Prato.

Unfortunately, threats of school violence are a common occurrence for students in New Jersey and nationwide. In December alone, districts in the Garden State reported at least 10 threats some with students bringing guns into schools. Read More: 11 NJ School Threats, Some Involving Guns, In Past 2 Weeks

The threats spanned across multiple New Jersey counties including Somerset, Hudson, Ocean, Glouster and Mercer.

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

Most of the threats were deemed not credible, but there were two concerning incidents last month where students at Lindenwold High School and at Lawrence Township High School in Mercer County were caught bringing guns to school. The student in Lawrence had a loaded handgun.

While NJOHSP continues to track all reported threats, it does not release specific school-related suspicious activity reporting data, due to the sensitive nature of the information.

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: TikTok School Gun Threat Has NJ Schools, Law Enforcement On Alert

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