Shooting Concerns Prompt School Lockdown In Camden Co.: Police

BERLIN, NJ — A Camden County school went into lockdown on Tuesday morning as police investigated concerns of a possible shooting.

At around 7:35 a.m., a school resource officer was alerted about a student who was "potentially on the way to (Berlin Community School) to cause violence, specifically that of a shooting," said the Berlin Police Department.

Berlin Community School entered a precautionary lockdown. Within 10 minutes, police identified the student and confirmed they had no weapons in their possession or in their locker.

The lockdown was downgraded to a shelter-in-place, and Berlin Community School returned to normal operations by 7:45 a.m., police said. There is an increased police presence at the school as of 11 a.m. Tuesday.

The investigation remains active, and police haven't announced any arrests as of late Tuesday morning.

"We want to thank the staff at Berlin Community School for their swift action with notification of our police officers," the Berlin Police Department said in a statement. "Berlin Police were able to work with school officials to ensure the safest protocol was carried out during arrival time at our schools."

Berlin Community School serves about 875 PreK-8 students, according to public data.