Angry Mom's Threats Prompt Shelter-In-Place At Toms River School

TOMS RIVER, NJ — A Toms River woman has been charged with making terroristic threats after she yelled threats at Toms River High School North staff after she had to pick up her child early from school, police said Tuesday.

The 47-year-old mother became angry and belligerent when she arrived to pick the student up because she was displeased with what she was told, Toms River Police Chief Peter Sundack said.

The mother was not identified and the reason she was asked to pick her child up was not disclosed to protect the student's identity, he confirmed.

The mother started yelling threatening comments in front of students and staff as she and the student left the school, Sundack said.

Toms River North administrators initiated a shelter in place because of the threats while police searched for the mother, he said.

She was later found in Jackson Township and arrested. She has been charged with second-degree counts of causing a false public alarm and terroristic threats, Sundack said.

After she was arrested the shelter in place was lifted and students resumed their normal schedule and dismissal, he said.

Sundack said he wanted to "thank the responding police officers and the school administration/staff for their efforts to keep the students safe."

The district notified staff, students and families in a message distributed through the Parent Square portal shortly after 1 p.m. that the shelter-in-place had been ordered "as a precautionary action in response to an external matter."

"Toms River Police are dealing with this external matter accordingly, and have provided an extra police presence on and around school grounds as an additional safety measure at this time," the message said. "All students and staff are safe and operating on their normal schedule."

The follow-up message, about 1:15 p.m., said the shelter-in-place had been lifted and police had "resolved the external concern." Classes were dismissed on schedule.

The messages were shared with Patch by Superintendent Michael Citta, who could not comment further on the situation due to student privacy issues.