Shooting Threat Found In NJ School Bathroom, Investigation Underway

EAST WINDSOR, NJ — Additional police personnel were placed at all schools of the East Windsor Regional School District after a shooting threat was found in a bathroom on Wednesday.

One day earlier, a student was found with a loaded handgun at another school district in the county. The school was put on lockdown and no injuries were reported. Read More: Lawrence High School Student Found With Loaded Handgun: Police

The threat in the East Windsor school district was scribbled on the wall of the boy’s bathroom at Hightstown High School (HHS), according to pictures circulating on social media. It was a student who reported the writing to HHS staff, school authorities said.

“The East Windsor Police Department is aware of the incident. We will have officers present in each of the three schools in East Windsor (Kreps - Middle School, Drew - Elementary School, and McKnight - Elementary School) for the duration of the school day,” Detective Sergeant Thomas Meyer told Patch.

On Wednesday afternoon, an HHS student reported to a staff member that there was an anonymously written comment on the wall of the restroom. The writing referenced a shooting at HHS on Dec. 10, school officials said. No additional information was included.

The school administrative team immediately initiated an investigation and has been working with the Hightstown Police Department to determine who was responsible for the comment on the wall, school Superintendent Mark Daniels said.

“At this time, we do not have additional evidence to believe the threat is credible. However, as a precautionary measure, Hightstown Police Department will have an increased presence on the HHS campus during the next few days,” Daniels told staff and families in a letter sent Wednesday evening.

Hightstown Police Chief Frank Gendron told Patch additional officers will be placed at all schools today, tomorrow, and next few days. "We are currently trying to track down leads in the case. When something is posted on social media, it is taken to a new level. But as of now, there's no credible threat and we are in contact with the school district on how to proceed," Gendron said.

Daniels told the school community that information related to the individual responsible for the message should be reported to the school administration. “Any student responsible for this act will face disciplinary action, which will include a referral to law enforcement,” he said.

Daniels went on to thank the students who reported the writing to HHS staff. "This reaffirms the relevance of the theme addressed during School Violence Awareness Week in October, when students were encouraged to ‘See Something, Say Something,’” Daniels said.

Meanwhile, Gendron assured parents and the community of the police department's commitment to keeping students safe. "Student safety is paramount to us and we are doing everything we can to keep them safe."

On Wednesday morning, Lawrence High School was put on lockdown after a student was found with a loaded handgun, police confirmed.

Working with the School Resource Officer Steven Austin, district authorities immediately located the student and conducted a search, during which a loaded handgun was found. The student was immediately taken into custody without incident and charged, Lawrence Township Police said.

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