Watchung Hills Student Accused Of Threatening to 'Shoot Up' School Will Not Return

WARREN, NJ — A 15-year-old Warren boy, who is accused of threatening to "shoot up" Watchung Hills Regional High School(WHRHS), will not be returning to school for the remainder of the school year, said Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Jewett.

"I can assure you that the student will not be returning to school for the balance of the year," said Jewett during the Board of Education meeting on Tuesday night.

Whether or not the student will return to school in the fall is going to depend on many factors.

"Obviously, the student is innocent until proven guilty," said Jewett. "However the administration ... must be completely confident if there is any consideration around the future of the student that they not be a threat to Watchung Hills Regional High School. And that is the main factor that will be taken into consideration in regard to what happens in the future."

Jewett and BOE President Bob Morrison thanked law enforcement and its own school security team for their actions on May 25 following a threat that caused a lockdown at the school.

The day after the threat was made, Jewett said she brought her 18-month-old child to school for a meeting because she felt safe.

"I can confidently say that there is no doubt in my mind that any member of our security team or our [School Resource Officer] would put their life on the line for a student or a staff member here, And that makes me feel very safe to be here," said Jewett.

Many superintendents in surrounding districts were impressed with WHRHS security set up and reached out to the district to discuss it further, said Jewett.

"We are not reacting to anything that has occurred. This has been a priority for this district for well over a decade and will remain a priority for this district into the future," said Morrison of providing security at the school.

The update comes after a WHRHS student was charged on Monday with a juvenile delinquency complaint charging him with second-degree conspiracy to commit false public alarm, and fourth-degree animal cruelty. Read More: Warren Student Threatens To 'Shoot Up' Watchung Hills School: Police

The student is accused of making a phone call saying he was "in a school bathroom with weapons and he was going to shoot up the school at the next bell," said Somerset County Acting Prosecutor Annmarie Taggart.

At no time was there a person in the school with any type of weapon, said Taggart.

Additionally, during the course of this ongoing investigation, Warren Township detectives became aware of videos the teen was creating and disseminating of animal cruelty — specifically of him harming a family pet, said Taggart.

The boy was taken to the Middlesex County Youth Detention Center pending a Family Court appearance.

Have a news tip? Email alexis.tarrazi@patch.com