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Multiple New Jersey schools swatted with hoax active shooter calls

At least eight districts across New Jersey were put into lockdown on Friday after receiving threatening phone calls.

News 12 Staff

Oct 14, 2022, 4:19 PM

Updated 769 days ago

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At least eight districts across New Jersey were put into lockdown on Friday after receiving threatening phone calls.
Police departments in Barnegat, East Brunswick, Freehold, Hamilton, Hardyston, Jackson, Newark and Jackson received calls that there were shooting incidents at schools in those towns. The schools were placed on lockdowns and shelters in place. The calls were quickly determined to be hoaxes. No shootings occurred.
The superintendent of the East Brunswick School District says it was a scary situation but that they were prepared.
"We are proud of what we do - we continue to enhance it. Even things like today, which was a hoax, we will use as a training as a tabletop next week, with police, next week to see what we can improve,” says Dr. Victor Valeski.
Valeski says that the police dispatcher kept the caller on the phone for a few minutes and that investigators are hopeful they can track down who made the calls.
New Jersey State Police are also aware of the incidents and say that they are monitoring the situation and will help in the investigation.
“The State Police and our law enforcement partners take all threats seriously and will utilize every asset at our disposal to ensure the safety of our students, faculty, administrators, and the public,” a spokesperson for the department wrote in a statement.
It was not clear if all the incidents were related.