Students at James F. Murray Elementary School in Jersey City will be screened by metal detector Thursday after a 14-year-old student allegedly brought a loaded gun to school.
Jersey City School Board President Sudhan Thomas says that officials were tipped-off by a parent of another student.
"Her son had informed her that one of the kids in the school had a loaded gun in his bag,” says Thomas.
Luckily the incident happened on Career Day at the school, so police officers were already there to speak with students.
"They were able to quickly go to the classroom able identify the child. They were able to retrieve the gun,” Thomas says.
The teen was not identified due to his age. But he was charged with weapons possession.
Parents picking up their children told News 12 New Jersey that they were not informed of the incident.
“It’s a little scary because you don’t know what could have been,” said parent Qiana Bartholomew. “We weren’t informed.”
It was unclear where the teen obtained the gun or if he meant to use it inside the school. No injuries were reported. Jersey City police say that they are investigating.
But Thomas says that he hopes that the student gets treated fairly and not demonized.
"We are dealing with an eighth-grader. That's what we should understand,” he says. "What was the reason this child felt that way? Was this child threatened? Is this child fearing for his safety and security?"
Thomas says that he is aware of parents’ concerns surrounding communication. He says that robo-calls are in place to alert parents. But he says that he would like to look into getting text message alerts for all parents in the Jersey City School District.