Schools in New Jersey are Dealing with an Increase in Threats of Violence, Shootings on Social Media

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Schools in New Jersey are Dealing with an Increase in Threats of Violence, Shootings on Social Media

School Violence

Threats of violence have triggered lockdowns and enhanced police presence in many regions.

As the coronavirus epidemic continues to be a daily concern, the return to in-person school this autumn has been everything but seamless, but that hasn't been the only problem for educators and students.

Threats have increased dramatically in schools around the country in the two weeks since a Michigan teen was accused with shooting four students at Oxford High School. Many New Jersey schools have investigated threats made on social media, phone calls, and reports of impending shootings, causing concern among parents, students, and school personnel.

Much of the action appears to be sparked by social media posts.
Police in New Brunswick, Middlesex County, stated Wednesday that a 14-year-old New Brunswick High School student was charged this week after allegedly threatening to shoot up the school. The threats were made public on social media on Monday and Tuesday, prompting "anxiety and concern among children, parents, and school faculty," according to police.
On Tuesday, one of these threats was spread among students at Jersey City's Dickinson High School, leading officials to suspect the threat was directed at that school. Dickinson was already grappling with a threat after a student there allegedly threatened another student over the weekend via Instagram, threatening "to kill all of you and your Egyptian buddies."
Ocean City High School in Cape May County was evacuated and students were sent home early Tuesday morning after administrators discovered a screenshot of a text message threatening a shooting.
Officials said in a note to the school community that police investigated the threat and determined it was not credible. On Wednesday, the school was set to reopen.

Last week, police in Howell Township, Monmouth County, reported on a Snapchat message circulating that warned of a shooting, which served to shed light on some of the threat issues. A photo of a wall with the words "HHS shooting 12/10/21" written on it was included in the article.
Authorities claimed a student from Howell High School was detained earlier this month after making a threatening message on Snapchat with a photo of a firearm, which police later verified to be an Airsoft gun.
Investigators concluded the "HHS" post originated from another school, according to Howell police, and was not tied to Howell High School, in the "HHS" post 10 days later. The statement sparked anxiety at a number of schools with the same initials across the country, including several in New Jersey and one in Tennessee.

Hightstown High School was reportedly the source of the image, and police investigated but found no evidence of a real threat. According to a Hightstown police spokesman, the case is still under investigation.
Tensions in the neighborhood were already high following the discovery of a pupil with a firearm at another Mercer County school last week. Police discovered a 15-year-old Lawrence High School student with a loaded pistol in the school Wednesday morning after receiving a tip, triggering a lockdown and a search of the institution.
All district schools in Manchester Township, Ocean County, were closed on December 3 as police investigated various rumors about "a potentially violent event with a gun taking place today at the high school," according to authorities. The threat was proved to be false.
Some of the threats have been more direct recently.

A spokeswoman with the state Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness noted that anyone who observes suspicious behavior, school-related or otherwise, should contact local law enforcement or the NJOHSP’s Counterterrorism Watch Desk at 1-866-4-SAFE-NJ or tips@njohsp.gov.

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