Gun Threats At NJ School After Fatal Student-Involved Shooting: Police

BRIDGETON, NJ - Threats of gun violence at Bridgeton High School in Cumberland County on social media were deemed to be not credible, authorities said Thursday. However, that doesn’t mean precautions won’t be taken, Bridgeton Police Chief Michael Gaimari said in a statement.

Police presence at the high school has increased “substantially” since Monday, Gaimari said, one day after one 17-year-old student was fatally shot and another 17-year-old was seriously injured early Sunday morning outside a N. Pearl Street residence.

Two incidents of fighting at the high school were also reported Monday in connection to the Sunday shooting, police said.

One adult, 21-year-old Iban Perez, and two teen boys have been identified and arrested in connection with the shooting and remain in custody, police said. The investigation is ongoing, with Gaimari expecting additional arrests in the case.

The boy who died has yet to be identified. The injured girl was last listed in stable condition, police said. Officials also did not release the names of the recent arrestees.

Perez, of Bridgeton, was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit murder, one count of conspiracy to commit aggravated assault and one count of conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office said.

The 17-year-old defendants face first-degree charges of murder and conspiracy to commit murder; second-degree charges of aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a handgun, and possession of a handgun for an unlawful purpose (two counts), and two fourth-degree counts of possession of a prohibited device, according to the county prosecutor’s office. They were arrested and jailed; the office said the state will move for continued detention.

“Our command staff and the Criminal Investigation Bureau supervisors have been in constant contact with security supervisors at the high school since the shooting and have been coordinating in reference to the investigation and measures to prevent any further violence … before, during and after school,” Gaimari said.

"Parents should know that we work extremely well with the school's security staff to ensure the safety of all students and we also monitor social media to investigate the safety of all students,” Gaimari said. “We also monitor social media to investigate and determine the credibility of information posted or relayed. Although we utilize social media in many of our investigations, it can also be a detriment when erroneous information is passed on."