Woodbridge, Edison High Schools Evacuated in Rash of Central NJ Bomb Threats

In a rash of bomb threats plaguing central New Jersey schools, Woodbridge High School students were evacuated from the building after the school received a phone threat.

Students were briskly escorted out of the building at approximately 11:30 am as police swarmed over the school The Woodbridge bomb threat was apparently one of several that had hit central New Jersey schools today, including Scotch Plains and Edison High School.

There, school officials had gotten a threatening letter attached to one of the door buildings, saying a bomb was going to detonate at 7:30 am, according to Edison Police Lieutenant Sal Filannino.

In Edison, it was the second letter in as many days. Yesterday, another letter attached to a different door at Edison High School said a bomb was going to blow up at 8:30 am, said Edison Lieutenant Sal Filannino.

In both cases, the school building was evacuated and bomb-sniffing dogs were brought in to do a sweep of the building. Monday's bomb threat came before the explosions at the Boston Marathon that killed three people and injured scores of runners and spectators.

Woodbridge police were tight-lipped about the bomb threat at Woodbridge High School. Marked and unmarked police cars surrounded the high school, closing off all but one entrance to the property. 

Officials were prepared for a wait with the sweep of Woodbridge High School. They were waiting for the bomb sniffing canine unit to arrive from Edison, but the rash of bomb threats had put Woodbridge on a waiting list, Woodbridge School Superintendent Robert Zega said.

After the school received the phone threat, Zega said he contacted police and the Middlesex County Sheriff's Office. "We evacuated the students inside of 12 minutes," he said. "It's all about the safety of the students."

Instead of being herded to the soccer and baseball fields near the Woodbridge Health Department, the Woodbridge students were ushered into the football stadium where they took up bleachers on both sides of the field. With the warm weather, the students were almost festive. 

They chatted, texted, chanted and eventually could be seen doing a wave as if were a football game that brought them to the stadium and not a bomb threat.

Parents who had received Honeywell text alerts about a "situation" at Woodridge High School were nervously pacing the property. Donna Valdes was walking her dog near the stadium and trying to find her daughter, a sophomore at the school. 

The Honeywell alert brought her and the dog, Cash, to the field.

"It's frightening. [The police] told me I couldn't get my daughter. I don't see why I can't. She's right there," Valdas said in frustration.

"I want to know she's OK. I don't understand why they don't just let them go home."

The Woodbridge students filed back into the building at about 1:30 pm, as some unknown adminstrator shouted over the stadium loudspeakers, "Go Barrons! Go Barrons!"

The situation in Woodbridge, especially after the terrorist incident in Boston Monday, was worrisome enough. But the fact that the Edison letter was taped to the door before the explosions in Boston added a particularly frightening note, Filannino said.

He said that "one could surmise" all the school bombing threats, coming as they did the day after the Boston tragedy, "could all be from the same individual or group of individuals."

Edison police are still investigating the incidents. Anyone with information is urged to call Edison Detective Zavoda at 732-248-7435. The Woodbridge Police can also be called at 732-634-4500.