ICYMI: Hillsborough High School Experiences Lock Down on Thursday

A discussion between two students resulted in a school-wide lock down on Thursday morning after rumors of a student possessing a gun inside the building circulated throughout the halls of Hillsborough High School.

A representative of the superintendent’s office told nj.com that superintendent Jorden Schiff responded to the high school to investigate. There was also a small police presence at the high school around 9:30 a.m., according to reports.

Police were called after staff members received word of a conversation about a student bringing a gun to the school - however, police later traced the comments back to a conversation about a video game.

According to My Central Jersey, there were no actual reports of seeing a gun at the high school. The lock down and police presence were both initiated as a safety precaution.

The conversation reportedly stemmed from a social media conversation,according to ABC7.

According to a statement from the Hillsborough Police Department:

The Hillsborough Police Department received notification from the administration at the Hillsborough High School that the school was being placed on lock down due to a staff member overhearing a student speaking to another student about a gun. No weapon was observed at the time by the staff member.

The School Resource Officer was present at the school and additional officers from the Hillsborough Police Dept. responded to investigate the incident as well as assist with the lock down. The incident was promptly verified to be a discussion between several students regarding a video game.

No weapons were found to be present at the school. The school was then taken off lock down once no apparent threat was deemed present.

The following letter was sent out to parents by Hillsborough High School Principal Karen Bingert:

Dear Parents and Guardians,

The lock down at Hillsborough High School is now complete, and the students and staff have returned to normal activities.

This lock down occurred because we received a report of a comment made by a student who said that another student in the school may have had a gun. We immediately began investigating, involved the police, and locked down the building as a safety precaution. With the cooperation of the Hillsborough Township Police Department, we have verified that this was a discussion of a video game and that no one has actually seen the presence of a gun in the building. At this time, it has been determined that there is no need for concern and no threat to the safety and well-being of the HHS Family.

I want to express my sincere appreciation for your support and understanding during this lock down. I fully understand how upsetting it can be, especially as you are dealing with the unknown, but I am grateful for your trust in the administrators and police as we worked very quickly to ensure that everyone was safe. I conveyed the same message of appreciation to your children and their teachers, who behaved cooperatively and admirably throughout the lock down within the uncomfortable confines of their classrooms with no more information than you had. In addition, we will provide counseling support throughout the rest of the day for students to help them deal with their emotions about the lock down, if needed.

We will have students remain in Period 1 to allow everyone time together to debrief and relax about this upsetting situation for approximately 15 minutes after the lock down concluded. We will then drop Period 2 completely, and the students will go directly to Period 3 at the sound of the next bell, at which point there will be no other changes to the schedule for the rest of the day.

I cannot thank you enough for your cooperation as parents, for how well-behaved the students were, and for the leadership of their teachers. I must also thank the Hillsborough Township Police Department for their quick response and thorough investigation of this matter. I am always proud to be the principal of Hillsborough High School but never more so than when we all pull together in an emergency and take such good care of each other and the wonderful students entrusted to us each day.

Once again, there was no actual threat, all precautionary procedures have concluded, and school activities have returned to normal.

Sincerely,

Karen A. Bingert, Principal