All Linden schools were placed on a brief lockdown after a call threatening to shoot up a school was received by the Linden Police Department this morning.
According to police, around 11:39 a.m. the police department received a call from a man who made an unspecified threat that he was going to “shoot up the school”.
Police officers and detectives were immediately deployed to all of the schools in the city as a precautionary measure, and the schools were put on lockdown. Shortly after, parents received a call alerting them that all Linden schools were place on lockdown for an 'unspecified threat.' Officers investigated several leads that were provided in the threat, all of which proved to be false. The lockdown at the schools was lifted at approximately 12:05 p.m. The police department worked closely with the Linden Public Schools Superintendent’s Office. The department will continue to investigate the incident, but it is a possibility that this is another case of “swatting”.
The Linden Public School issued the following statement shortly after:
"Due to an unspecified threat that was called in to the Linden Police Department, all schools in the district were placed in lockdown at approximately 11:30 this morning. The LPD deployed officers to all schools in the city as a precautionary measure. Upon recommendation of the LPD, the lockdown was lifted at approximately 12:04 pm. All students and staff are safe and schools are back on normal schedule. The LPD will continue to investigate this incident."