Threat against schools in New Jersey forces several closures; 3 in custody

At least three suspects were in custody Monday after an online threat against schools in four New Jersey districts led two to close, canceling classes for almost 6,000 students.

Threats were made against specific schools in the Woodbury, Deptford, Glassboro and Haddon Heights districts in southern New Jersey. Woodbury and Deptford closed all schools while Glassboro and Haddon Heights schools were open but with an increased police presence.

Glassboro police said in a statement that two youths from Woodbury and one from Glassboro had been arrested. The statement, citing a threat directed at Bowe Middle School, credited members of the community with aiding in identification of the suspects.

"The children that attend school in our district may not biologically be ours, but we look after them as if they are our own," the statement said, adding that police "will never stop taking whatever measures necessary to ensure they are protected from the evil that tries to instill fear and cause chaos."

The threat comes days after a 14-year-old student is accused of fatally shooting two students and two teachers at his high school in Winder, Georgia.

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Screen shots from TikTok posted in community Facebook pages showed the threats and list of schools.

The Woodbury City district, with more than 1,700 students, posted a statement from Superintendent Andrew T. Bell Sr. on its website saying its schools would be closed Monday. Bell said the threat was not believed to be credible but that the district "exercising extreme caution to ensure the safety of our students, staff and families. Please be assured that school safety remains our top priority, and we are taking every precaution necessary to maintain a secure environment."

Bell said the district was working closely with police investigating the source of this threat. He urged families to "remain vigilant" and report any information that might be relevant to the investigation to law enforcement or school district officials.

Kevin Kanauss, superintendent of schools for more than 4,000 students in Deptford Township, said that "after carefully reviewing the progress of the investigation with our security team and law enforcement this evening, I have decided to close schools for Monday, September 9, 2024, out of an abundance of caution and for the safety and security of our entire Deptford Spartan Community."

Arrests made in Florida school threats

In Florida, arrests were made over the weekend in two school threat cases. A 13-year-old boy was arrested Sunday, accused of making a social media threats against Madison County schools on Instagram. The sheriff's department said late Sunday the investigation will remain active until it is determined that the juvenile acted alone.

In Broward Sheriff’s Office said it arrested a 14-year-old high school student late Saturday for making written threats to kill or conduct a mass shooting. She posted multiple stories on Instagram on Saturday afternoon that contained threats, including one post that listed several schools across Broward County that would be targeted with violence. Other posts contained additional threats of a school shooting or other violence. 

Contributing: Phaedra Trethan