How Many Weapons Were Found In Hillsborough Schools?

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — Statistics recently released by the state Department of Education showed that 578 schools, including Hillsborough, Montgomery and Franklin, had at least one incident involving a "weapon" during the 2016-17 school year.

Franklin High School reported the most cases involving weapons in Somerset County with five. Hillsborough High School followed with four cases.

Pine Grove Manor School in Franklin and Montgomery High School both reported two cases while Conerly Road School and Sampson G. Smith School in Franklin along with Hillsborough Township Middle School and Montgomery Upper Middle School reported one case.

The DOE defines "weapon" as anything from a handgun to items that were much more commonly found in schools, including knives, air guns and even pepper spray.

"Weapons include any instrument readily capable of lethal use or of inflicting bodily injury," according to the state Department of Education.

Neptune High School in Monmouth County had the highest reported cases in the state with 18. (For the full list of schools in NJ click here)

The issue has resonated with the public and public safety officials since the mass fatal shooting of 17 people at a Florida high school last week. Police departments in several New Jersey communities have been increasing their presence at area schools following a rash of potential threats in their local school districts last week.

• Read more: At Least 5 NJ School Threats Investigated In Last 72 Hours
• Read More: 2 Teens Charged After Threatening Jefferson Schools: Police

Below is a list of Somerset County districts with the highest to lowest number of cases involving weapons (districts reporting no cases were not included):

• Franklin High School, FRANKLIN TWP, SOMERSET 5.00
• Hillsborough High School, HILLSBOROUGH, SOMERSET 4.00
• Bernardsville Middle School, SOMERSET HILLS REGIONAL, SOMERSET 3.00
• William Annin Middle School, BERNARDS TWP, SOMERSET 2.00
• Oak Street School, BERNARDS TWP, SOMERSET 2.00
• Bound Brook High School, BOUND BROOK, SOMERSET 2.00
• Pine Grove Manor School, FRANKLIN TWP, SOMERSET 2.00
• Montgomery High School, MONTGOMERY TWP, SOMERSET 2.00
• Stony Brook School, NORTH PLAINFIELD, SOMERSET 2.00
• Somerville Middle School, SOMERVILLE, SOMERSET 2.00
• Mount Prospect Elementary School, BERNARDS TWP, SOMERSET 1.00
• Community Middle School, BOUND BROOK, SOMERSET 1.00
• Bridgewater-Raritan High School, BRIDGEWATER-RARITAN REG, SOMERSET 1.00
• Conerly Road School, FRANKLIN TWP, SOMERSET 1.00
• Sampson G. Smith School, FRANKLIN TWP, SOMERSET 1.00
• Hillsborough Township Middle School, HILLSBOROUGH, SOMERSET 1.00
• Roosevelt School, MANVILLE, SOMERSET 1.00
• Montgomery Upper Middle School, MONTGOMERY TWP, SOMERSET 1.00
• North Plainfield High School, NORTH PLAINFIELD, SOMERSET 1.00
• North Plainfield Middle School, NORTH PLAINFIELD, SOMERSET 1.00
• Somerset County Vocational Technical High School, SOMERSET CO VOCATIONAL, SOMERSET 1.00

(Image via Shutterstock)

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