The man, dressed in camouflage, was actually holding a camera and there was no threat to the school, according to Hopatcong Police Captain Tina Kraus.
A teacher saw the man entering the wooded area near the school and contacted the main office. The main office immediately contacted the Hopatcong Police Department. Officers responded at 10:07 a.m., Kraus said.
Kraus said that the officers put the school on a precautionary lock down, where all the classrooms and main doors are locked and the students get against a wall away from the windows.
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Students are accustomed to these lock downs since drills are performed once a month.
“They are just told that there is a lock down and that they have to stay there (in the classrooms),” she said. “We do drills monthly with the schools to they are prepared for things like this.”
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The officers determined that the man was not carrying a gun, but was instead carrying a camera to be used for hunting purposes. The man left the wooded area without incident, Kraus said.
The officers were able to lift the lock down and leave the school by 10:37 a.m., Kraus said. The school day continued as usual.
Durban Avenue is an elementary school for grades fourth and fifth.
