UPDATED: Cops Charge 7th Grader in Maplewood: Glock Had Hollow Point Bullets

Police have charged a 7th grade student at Maplewood Middle School with bringing a loaded 9mm Glock handgun with hollow point bullets to school at lunchtime on Wednesday.

The incident prompted authorities to declare a “Code Red” lockdown at the school as a safety precaution, until the 13-year-old student was located and apprehended and the campus could be searched.

According to police, “the investigation has not revealed any indication that there was a specific threat against any person or persons.”

The juvenile was charged with possession of a weapon on school property, possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose and possession of penetrating bullets.

He was turned over to the Essex County Juvenile Detention Center, and additional charges may be forthcoming.

School officials have stated that the student is “under detention” and “will not be returning to Maplewood Middle School.”

AIR GUN AND KNIFE AT COLUMBIA

Another gun scare took place at Columbia High on Thursday, when a 15-year-old male student was taken into custody for bringing an air soft gun and kitchen knife to campus at the end of the school day. [See related Patch article]

Authorities placed the school in “shelter in place status” until the student was apprehended and the campus was searched.

As with the previous incident, police stated that there was no actual threat to students or staff.

“Contrary to rumor, there was no ‘hit list’ recovered during the investigation at Maplewood Middle School, and there has been no information that there will be future fights involving weapons at Columbia High School,” police stated in a release on Friday.

“As a precautionary measure, additional patrols have been assigned to the area of the High School.”

SCHOOL OFFICALS REACT

Following Thursday’s incident, James Memoli, superintendent of the South Orange and Maplewood School District, and Elizabeth Aaron, principal of Columbia High School, issued a joint statement on the district’s website.

“We are aware that various rumors have been circulating about safety at CHS. We want to assure you that we take student safety very seriously. The Maplewood Police Department has an extra presence at CHS today to ensure that all students and staff are safe, and we are having a calm and productive morning, focused on learning.

“CHS administration regrets the large amount of negative social media related to CHS and safety. Thank you to the students and parents who have shared rumors and concerns with us. CHS administration is working closely with law enforcement to investigate rumors and make decisions based on facts.

“We encourage parents to engage with thoughtful conversations about social media with their children and will continue to make every effort to lead strong schools and support parents and children in making healthy and safe decisions about conflict resolution.”

Jerrill Adams, principal at Maplewood Middle School, issued his own statement about the incident on Wednesday.

“I want to start today off by letting each and every member of our school community know how proud I am of the way you all responded to the unexpected lockdown yesterday. The police have also praised how well our community responded, and wanted me to share their thanks for everyone’s assistance.

“I know there are a lot of rumors and stories about what happened, and many of you probably have questions. This is now a police matter. We therefore, by law, can’t talk about the details of what happened yesterday. This is both to protect the privacy of the student involved, and so that we don’t compromise the police investigation.

“While we can’t talk about what happened, we can talk about the ways we can all work together to make sure MMS is a safe place to learn,” Adams stated.

See Adams’ suggestions online here.

According to school officials, actions in the wake of the gun scares include:

• Making additional staff members available
• A live news broadcast address from Adams to students about the incident
• Guided discussions between students and teachers
• Small group meetings with students who missed the broadcast
• Continued availability of school counselors

Above photo of Columbia High School courtesy of Joel Weinberger

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