Woodbridge Teen, 16, Brought Loaded Gun To School In March

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — A Woodbridge teenager brought a loaded gun to JFK High School on March 28 of this year, and his sentencing was just announced Tuesday, according to Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone.

The teen brought the loaded handgun to the high school on March 28.

While Woodbridge Police never announced the incident publicly, the Woodbridge school district sent a letter home to all JFK parents the day it happened, letting them know a student brought a loaded gun to school, said Woodbridge superintendent Joseph Massimino.

Parents of JFK students confirmed they received the letter, and had been made aware of this incident the day it happened.

The teen who did this is a 16-year-old teenager who lives in Woodbridge.

He previously pleaded guilty June 24. Middlesex County prosecutors charged him as an adult — due to the severity of the crime — and argued that he should serve two years in a youth detention center. The county prosecutor also released his name.

However, he was sentenced by a family court judge to two years of probation, which means he will not spend any time in a youth detention center.

On March 28, Woodbridge Police officers responded to JFK High School after receiving a report that a student was in possession of a handgun. High school staff tipped off police that the teen was carrying the gun in his fanny pack.

The teen had been stopped and questioned by school staff upon his arrival that morning. During a search, a loaded 9mm handgun was found.

A subsequent investigation conducted by Detective Ryan Hoppock of the Woodbridge Police Department resulted in the teen being charged with acts of juvenile delinquency for offenses which if committed by an adult would constitute third-degree possession of a weapon in an educational institution, plus second-degree illegal weapons offenses.

The teen was charged as an adult, and as such his name was released by the Middlesex County Prosecutor's office.

On June 24, the teen pled guilty to unlawful possession of a weapon.

Middlesex County prosecutors argued for a two-year term of incarceration, however family court judge Deborah Venezia sentenced him instead to two years of probation.

Tom Maras, a Woodbridge resident who ran for school board in the past, said he thinks the Woodbridge school district should have announced this publicly when this incident first happened, or at the very least notified the entire school district, and not just JFK parents.

"I don't think we need to reveal who the student is, but at least they should have made some public announcement when this happened: That a student brought a gun to school and that the Middlesex County Prosecutor's office is investigating," said Maras. "That would have at least ended the rumor mill and shown this is being taken incredibly seriously."

"A lot of people in Woodbridge had no idea this happened until now," he added.