St. Elizabeth University Lockdown Leaves Unanswered Questions

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ — Morris County law enforcement officials reported that no suspects have been identified in the investigation into a threat that prompted a lockdown on Tuesday, April 4.

Shelter-in-place orders were issued at two neighboring universities and nearby public schools following an alert of a possible suspect with a weapon near the campus of Saint Elizabeth University.

According to Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll's statement, the Morris County Prosecutor's Office was notified around 10:30 a.m. that a bystander walking near Convent Station on the Saint Elizabeth University campus encountered a man who threatened violence and appeared to be armed.

"The bystander reported that a male told them to get out of the area if they didn’t want to die like the rest of everyone," Meghan Knab, a spokesperson for the Morris County Prosecutor's Office said.

Following the alert, police closed the entrances to several Morris County schools, including the nearby Fairleigh Dickinson University campus in Florham Park, Drew University in nearby Madison, the School District of the Chathams, the Morris School District and Madison's public schools.

The scene was secured by the initial Morris Township Patrol Units, who were later joined by responding officers from the Prosecutor's Office, Sheriff's Office and additional mutual aid from surrounding municipal police departments.

The New Jersey State Police were also on the scene assisting the Morristown Police Department in the area of Saint Elizabeth University, according to Sgt. Philip Curry of the New Jersey State Police.

After the campus was secured, responding officers conducted a perimeter search that included a building-by-building response; however, investigative efforts did not result in the identification of the described man.

"Contrary to social media reports, there is no confirmation of the presence of a subject possessing a firearm," Carroll said.

Due to police activity, the NJ Transit Morris and Essex Train Line was suspended in both directions between Morristown and Madison for several hours. Customers were asked to seek alternative modes of transportation for their commute.

In the early afternoon, officials at Saint Elizabeth later took to social media to confirm that there was no active shooter on campus, but they advised students who were not already on campus to stay home for the day.

Fairleigh Dickinson University issued an alert on Facebook to its nearby Florham Park campus to shelter in place and to close all windows and lock doors, adding that local police were investigating the incident.

Lockdowns at Saint Elizabeth and Fairleigh Dickinson University were lifted shortly after 3:30 p.m., Carroll said.

Following the investigation, officials from both universities spoke out about the lockdowns and the community's next steps.

"Yesterday, we received word from local authorities of a person near the entrance to St. Elizabeth’s University who may have been observed in possession of a weapon. Sadly, this has become an all too familiar and terrifying situation across our nation, but we were well prepared to respond swiftly to assure the safety of our campus community," Fairleigh Dickinson University Interim President Michael J. Avaltroni said. "While this situation was both scary and yet another reminder of current realities, this was thankfully an incident that was without merit."

Avaltroni stated that he will meet with the school's emergency management team on Wednesday to conduct a full debrief of the entire incident response and look for areas for improvement.

All activities and classes at Saint Elizabeth University have been canceled for the rest of the week, according to President Gary B. Crosby. Thursday and Friday were previously scheduled days off for Easter Break.

The next day of classes will be Monday, April 10, and group counseling will be held in Rainis Auditorium from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on April 5.

"I am deeply thankful for the way we came together as a family and worked through this with the support of local law enforcement. Thank you all for your commitment to the health and safety of our community. As always, we will continue to SOAR," Crosby said.