Police: BRHS Administration Received Anonymous Threat

Police are still investigating the origin of an anonymous bomb threat emailed to administration at the around 11 p.m. Thursday—but the school has been deemed safe and classes have resumed.

According to Bridgewater Township Police Lt. Al Nicaretta, the email was sent to high school principal Lew Ludwig, who immediately notifed Superintendent of Schools Michael Schilder.

"The email said someone would be bringing a bomb to school Friday," Nicaretta said. "The administration called the superintendent, who called the police and we got the ball rolling."

The Bridgewater Police Department, Nicaretta said, contacted the Somerset County Sheriff's Office as well as the state police K-9 unit for assistance, and the Regional Operations Intelligence Center was notified, which sent in K-9 units from the Union County Sheriff's Office as well as the Morris County Sheriff's Office.

Units met at the high school at 4:30 a.m., Nicaretta said, and began a search of the building.

"And [Bridgewater Township Police] Chief [Richard Borden] and the superintendent decided on a , which worked out," he said. "We searched the whole school and nothing was found."

Nicaretta said the police wanted to ensure that there were no devices left in the school building, or anywhere on the property, that could be set off as a bomb. He said the department decided that it was safe to open once the building was found to be clear.

"We couldn't get into the practice of searching every student coming in to the building because we would go well beyond the school day," he said. "We have a police presence in the school, and we believe that will be an effective deterrent."

In addition to the usual School Resource Officer in the building, there will be a police presence at the building all day, Nicaretta said, with officers outside, and plainclothes officers inside.

Once the investigation was completed before 8 a.m., Nicaretta said, the police began letting staff and personnel into the building.

"Some people had responded for the day because they didn't get the e-blast about the delay," he said. "But school opened at 9:20 a.m."

Nicaretta said the department is also hoping to get as much information out to the public as possible because it could act as a deterrent to whoever sent the email or might be planning something in the future.

"If someone has it in their mind to do this, they will do it," he said. "We have to be vigilant at all times, and that's the best thing."

Nicaretta said with the recent school shooting in Ohio it is hard to tell if this is a copycat situation or just a random threat.

"But we treat each threat as serious as any other," he said. "We have to react to anything that is out there."

This threat, Nicaretta said, is the first one since 2009, when the district received a message at the end of the school day that there would be a shooting in the building. Fortunately, at that time, the department did take a suspect into custody and continued the investigation with no harm to any students or staff.

But, Nicaretta said, the police have to treat this investigation as seriously as any other. Right now, he said, there are no suspects, and the department is working on determining who sent the email.

"We are trying to locate the origin," he said. "The email said the bomb would happen Friday morning."

"We may have to get search warrants," he added, stating that the police will continue the investigation throughout the day and as long as is needed, checking on what computer the email traces to. "We will see where the investigation leads and determine how much police presence should be at the school on Monday. Maybe we scared the individual, and if it was a joke, maybe we scared the person from making more jokes like this."

Nicaretta said it is just important to be vigilant at all times.

"Take an active part in your child's life at whatever age," he said. "Know their friends. The teachers and guidance counselors are pretty good at picking up on things that need to be reported."

"But it all starts at home," he added.