2 New Jersey school districts closed as police investigate threat on social media; suspect in custody
WOODBURY, N.J. (CBS) -- Two school districts in New Jersey are closed as police investigate a social media post that threatened schools in Camden and Gloucester Counties, police said on Sunday night.
Woodbury City Schools and Deptford Township School District in Gloucester County will be closed on Monday due to the threat posted on social media, the schools announced.
The Woodbury City Police Department said a juvenile suspect believed to be responsible for threats is in custody.
In a letter to the Woodbury school community on Sunday night, Superintendent Andrew T. Bell Sr. wrote: "While we do not believe the threat to be credible, we are exercising extreme caution to ensure the safety of our students, staff, and families. Please be assured that school safety remains our top priority, and we are taking every precaution necessary to maintain a secure environment."
"We are working closely with the Woodbury City Police and Chief Ryan to allow them the time needed to investigate and track the source of this threat thoroughly, and again, there is no immediate indication that the threat is valid," Bell wrote.
According to the letter, no transportation services will be provided for students on Monday and all after-school activities at Woodbury City were also canceled.
Later Sunday night, Deptford wrote on Facebook that it decided to close out of an abundance of caution. All extracurricular activities were also canceled, according to the school district.
"We will continue to work with law enforcement officials to determine our next course of action and to ensure the safety of our schools and all of our Spartans," the district wrote on Facebook.
The Glassboro School District posted on its homepage on Sunday night that they're also aware of the threat on social media. They said the threat was made against five schools, including Thomas E. Bowe Middle School.
"As they continue to investigate, we will keep the lines of communication open with law enforcement to ensure that we are working collaboratively to keep everyone safe," the Glassboro School District said. "Glassboro PD has ensured us that at a minimum, there will be enhanced security/police presence at all of our schools tomorrow and as long as necessary. If any new information is shared with us, we will provide an update."
It's unclear what the threat said.
The threat is under investigation by multiple police departments in South Jersey.
Anyone with information about the threat is urged to contact police.
