Community Corner

Police Respond to Report of a Student With Gun

West Essex Regional Schools locked down for about an hour, but no weapon found.

The West Essex Regional Schools were placed under lockdown for approximately an hour Tuesday afternoon after the North Caldwell Police Department received a tip that a female student had a gun inside the high school.

Police Chief Mark Deuer said the department received a phone call from a "reliable source" at about 12:44 p.m., stating a 16-year-old female high school student had a gun in her possession. 

According to Deuer, the information was confirmed by an online posting the student made.

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"We received information that a student had a possible weapon in the West Essex High School," Deuer said. "We were able to identify the student. We immediately called the high school and had them initiate lockdown procedures. We notified surrounding agencies and the school was put under lockdown immediately."

When the police arrived at about 1 p.m., the female student was located inside a classroom where she was removed, questioned and searched, Deuer said.

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"As quickly as we could, we made entry into her classroom," said Deuer, who could not say what, if anything, the student told authorities. "We removed her. We searched her belongings, her locker, the classroom. We found no weapon inside the school."

All areas the student had access to were searched, including other students inside the classroom where she was found, Deuer said.

According to Deuer, the source also sent a printout to police of a posting the student made on an online social-networking site. However, Deuer said it was unclear when or on what site the message was posted.

"In summary, the correspondence said that she had a gun and the gun was in the school," Deuer said. "As to the rest of the content, I cannot release that at this point. From what we pulled from the correspondence, there was a gun and it was possibly inside the West Essex High School. Acting upon that, we immediately took action."

According to Geordy Boveroux, a West Essex High School student and intern for The Caldwells Patch, the scene inside the adjoining middle and high schools was chaotic.

"It's kind of mayhem here right now as there are a lot of students crying and freaking out," he wrote in an e-mail shortly after the lockdown was released at 1:55 p.m. "Some police entered classrooms and really spooked students."

In addition to North Caldwell, Fairfield, Roseland and Essex Fells—the municipalities that comprise the regional school district—as well as West Caldwell, Caldwell, Wayne and the New Jersey state police responded to the school. A news helicopter also flew overhead, Deuer said.

Shortly after 2 p.m., the student was transported by ambulance to St. Clare's Hospital in Denville for evaluation and for "her own safety," according to Deuer, who could not say what municipality the juvenile resides in. 

The student's parents were notified and responded to the school, according to Deuer, who said it's unclear if charges will be filed.

"We have to look into it more," Deuer said. "Right now our main concern was the kids, her and later we'll deal with the criminal aspect, if there is any."


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