PCIT Threat Caused Lockdown At Morris Co. Vo-Tech: PD

DENVILLE, NJ — A threat sent to the Passaic County Institue of Technology forced the lockdown of both PCIT and Morris County School of Technology in Denville Friday morning, officials said. The threat was not credible.

Bill Maer, Passaic County Sheriff's spokesman, said the threat made against PCIT was investigated by authorities and found to be not credible. "We are investigating and will continue to investigate even though we feel there is little to no risk to the school. We take threats extremely seriously," Maer said.

Denville Police Capt. Jeffrey Tucker said police were informed around 7:30 a.m. that an "act of violence" was going to take place at MCST, the same time that school officials learned of the threat from another source. Because the threat was received as students were arriving to school, the immediate decision was made to put the school in lockdown and turn away any students that had not yet arrived, Tucker said.

Police, alongside the Butler police, and the Morris and Passaic Sheriff's Offices, investigated the threat and found it was not related to MCST. Police then conducted a room-to-room search of the building before lifting the lockdown around 9:20 a.m., Tucker said.

Students resumed their normally scheduled day, but were given the option to go home if they chose, Tucker said.

"The Denville Police Department would like to thank and commend all of the students and staff who were on site this morning for putting into practice all of their training in how to react to such a situation. We are very fortunate that this did not turn out to be a true threat and no one was injured or worse," Tucker said.

“We take these incidents extremely seriously. Our most vulnerable populations are in schools. They’re our students. They’re our grandchildren. They’re our children. They’re professionals, paraprofessionals, teachers, all the people who make it work,” Sheriff James Gannon said to the students and parents at the school.

A separate, non-credible threat was also made against High Tech High School in Secaucus. That threat was also made over social media. Because it was deemed non-credible, there was not an increased police presence.

An unrelated lockdown was called at Parsippany Hills High School Friday morning. Police say one student was injured trying to climb out of a first floor window, but that the lockdown has since been lifted. Read More: Student Injured During Lockdown At PHHS

This is a developing story. Check back for more information.

Dan Hubbard, Patch staff, contributed reporting.