Crime & Safety
N.J. Students Planned 'Sandy Hook'-Style Attack On Former Elementary School: Authorities
The threat was the second known plan for a potential attack against New Jersey schools this week.
Two students at a New Jersey high school were arrested this week after they talked about taking out a "Sandy Hook"-style attack against their former elementary school, authorities said.
Authorities said in a statement that they searched the homes of the students, both from Eastside High School in Paterson, on Tuesday and found no weapons, officials said. They said the attack planning, however, was in its "early stages" but was determined to be a valid threat.
It was the second known potential attack against New Jersey schools this week. A Mainland Regional High School high school student had a "kill list" and threatened to gas bomb the South Jersey school last week, police say.
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In the Paterson incident, one male and one female student planned to carry out the attack against New Roberto Clemente School. Paterson Police Director Jerry Speziale did not release their names, but terrorist threat charges were filed against the two students.
Hector Montes, principal at the New Roberto Clemente School, said at an emergency meeting of school staff on Tuesday that the students talked on websites about mimicking attacks "like those that happened at Columbine High School in Colorado and Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.," according to The Record.
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The principal said at least one teacher had been mentioned by name as a possible target, the president of the city’s teachers union, John McEntee Jr., told The Record.
No further information was immediately available regarding the Paterson incident.
In the South Jersey incident, several Mainland Regional High School students reported to staff last week another student had made statements about having the “kill list," according to Linwood police.
The student was immediately removed from class by Mainland staff and later transported to the Linwood Police Department where he was interviewed, along with his parents, police said.
The parents were "supportive of the investigation," Linwood police said in a March 24 news release.
Anyone with information on this case is asked to call the Linwood Police Department Detective Bureau at 609-926-7968.
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