High School Trespasser Prompts Lockdown At Burlington County School

BURLINGTON CITY, NJ - A teen trespasser at Burlington City High School prompted a lockdown at the school Wednesday, authorities said.

The trespassing complaint was reported to police at around 12:29 p.m. after a School Resource Officer found that an unknown teen had gained entry into the school, Burlington City police said in a statement.

The 16-year-old, who was spotted by a faculty member, fled the school into a wooded area near James Street, police said. As a result, Burlington City High School issued a “shelter in place” while officers pursued the subject.

While Burlington City police reported that St. Paul's Parochial School (located on the other side of James Street) was also under a "shelter in place," a representative from the school confirmed to Patch that the school was not locked down during the incident.

After response from North Hanover and the Burlington City Police Department’s Unmanned Aircraft System, the trespasser was located and taken into police custody a short while later, police said.

An investigation later found that the 16-year-old male was not a student at the high school, and that he entered the building with the help of a high school student. His intentions were not criminal and no student or staff was in danger, police said.

The teen was charged with criminal trespass and released to the custody of his parents, police said.