Device That Caused Lockdown At 2 Livingston Schools Last Week Revealed

LIVINGSTON, NJ — A week after two schools in Livingston, NJ were locked down because an "item associated with a weapon" fell out of car at a school parking lot, officials have clarified what the item was.

A police spokesperson said Tuesday that the item was an unloaded magazine from a handgun. A magazine feeds rounds of ammunition into a firearm's chamber during shooting.

The affected schools were Livingston High School and Heritage Middle School.

Police said they could not release more information, and the investigation continues.

"An item associated with a weapon was accidentally kicked out of a car this morning at Heritage Middle School," Police Chief Gary Marshuetz and Superintendent of Schools Matthew Block in a statement last Wednesday. "A custodian discovered the item as he picked up trash outside. The item was turned in to the administration, who immediately called the Livingston Police Department and initiated a lockdown."

Police said Wednesday that there was no evidence of any intention to bring a weapon into the school.

"The police are currently investigating why the item was in the car initially, and they are questioning those individuals who were driving in that particular car this morning," they said last week. "Despite what is being posted online, there was NEVER a gun in the school."

A post from police earlier around 10:30 that morning had said, "The lockdowns have been released and the individuals involved were identified and are no longer on school grounds."

Patch has asked if anyone has been charged in relation to the incident, and will update this story if more information is released.

See prior reporting here.

Two other North Jersey schools were locked down last week, in that case because of the actions of parents. Read about those here.

In late January, a man was arrested for stealing a school bus from the Livingston school district. Investigators found a journal in a home he'd allegedly broken into, containing writings against the police and Jewish people. Read more here.