More Police In Parsippany Schools Friday, But No Direct Threat Found: PD

PARSIPPANY, NJ — Parsippany police will increase their presence Friday in local schools, becoming one of many law-enforcement agencies to do so after a nationwide TikTok "challenge" that encouraged students to threaten gun violence at their schools.

There has been no direct threat to public or private schools in Parsippany, according to police. But the department will increase their presence in schools "to help reassure the students, parents, and faculty tomorrow."

Multiple law-enforcement agencies say they are monitoring reports of the challenge, which has encouraged students to threaten gun violence at their schools on Friday. The New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness and the state Department of Education's Office of School Preparedness and Emergency Planning alerted New Jersey districts to the Dec. 17 challenge, and several notified parents, students and staff while also taking steps to increase security.

The threat is a generic one to schools across the country, officials in several districts said as they tried to reassure families that students and staff will be safe.

The Tik Tok challenge comes on the heels of the ninth anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting and the Michigan school shooting on Nov. 30 that killed four students and injured several others.

It also comes after two weeks of threats and rumors against New Jersey schools, including some that involved firearms. Read more: 11 NJ School Threats, Some Involving Guns, In Past 2 Weeks

With reporting from Karen Wall/Patch

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