Holmdel Police: Hoax Caller Threatened To Kill Children In School

At 9:35 a.m. Tuesday, Holmdel police received a 911 call from a local school principal.

She reported that a female had called the W.R. Satz School and said that “she was in the school and was going to start killing children,’’ a news release from police said.

Police said they rushed to the school and began an immediate search to make sure there was no one in the building “actively shooting.’’

Police now say that call was a hoax and they are asking anyone with information about the case to call them.

New Jersey State Police, as well as officers from three other nearby communities, assisted Holmdel with the investigation. It was several hours before police were able to allow students back into their schools.

That’s because once the initial search was complete, Satz School and the adjoining high school were evacuated, and a full search was done. Both buildings were deemed safe around 1 p.m. and the students were allowed to return to class, according to the news release from Lt. Michael Pigott.

Regular activities then resumed at Holmdel schools, and all after-school activities were scheduled to be held as planned, according to school officials and police.

While police were investigating, Village and Indian Hill schools were also placed in “secure-the-building” mode, although throughout the incident, police used their Facebook page to assure parents that everyone was safe.

“We appreciate the actions taken by our staff, the Holmdel Police Department and the neighboring police departments to ensure the safety and security of our students and staff. Thanks to the school community for their cooperation and support during this time,’’ Barbara Duncan, the schools superintendent, said in a statement on the district’s website.

Anyone with any information is asked to call Detective Andrew Kret at 732­-946-­4400. Holmdel police received assistance from State Police, and the Middletown, Hazlet, and Aberdeen Police Departments.

The hoax call, known as ”swatting,” is typically described as the act of tricking emergency service personnel into dispatching a response based on a false report.

This was the second swatting case in Holmdel this year.

In March, the Holmdel School District was the target of what authorities have also described as an apparent hoax. In that case, someone called the Village School with a false report of an armed intruder at the elementary school, authorities have said.

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