By: Richard L. Smith
West Orange school officials and police responded Wednesday morning after concerns were raised that a student may have been in possession of a weapon, prompting a brief shelter-in-place at a local school.
According to an official statement from West Orange Public Schools, multiple students reported their concerns to school administrators earlier in the day.
The student in question was quickly located and taken into custody without incident.
Law enforcement officers conducted a thorough search and confirmed that no firearm or ammunition was found.
Authorities said the student was in possession of the reported item, which was determined to be an empty magazine.
As a precaution, a shelter-in-place order was implemented while the building and campus were searched.
The West Orange Police Department, with assistance from the Essex County Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit, conducted a comprehensive sweep and later issued an all-clear.
Normal school operations resumed for the remainder of the day.
A spokesperson for West Orange police confirmed that the situation was handled safely and that no injuries were reported.
Officials also said a formal statement from West Orange Public Schools is forthcoming.
In neighboring Orange, school officials briefly locked down buildings while authorities worked to confirm the incident was isolated to West Orange and did not pose a threat to surrounding communities.
School administrators emphasized that student and staff safety remains their top priority and urged families to rely on official information rather than rumors as details are released.