MANCHESTER – After an extensive investigation, police found there was no credible threat to students or staff at a local school.
The Manchester Township Police Department released a statement regarding alleged social media threats made by two Manchester Township Middle School students.
The first message, sent via Snapchat, was posted on Jan. 1 but not reported to the police until Jan. 9. Police did not reveal what the message or image included.
“Contrary to social media rumors, the image did not include weapons of any type. A thorough investigation concluded that there was no credible threat,” Captain Todd Malland told Jersey Shore Online in a Jan. 29 statement. He added in a phone call that same day that the parents and guardians were very cooperative and allowed police to search their homes. The students do not have weapons, do not have access to weapons; no plans or any evidence pointing to any harm intended was found after the investigation. The students were required to undergo a mental health screening as well, he said.
“Any disciplinary action with regard to the involved students and their return to school is at the sole discretion of the Manchester School District Administration,” the statement from Malland continued.
Parents have taken to social media to voice complaints about how the situation was handled. They have created a closed Facebook group, Manchester Parents for Student Safety.
Many parents feel this is not being properly handled by the district administration. In this group we can discuss further steps we can take to keep our kids safe, alert other parents and hold the administration accountable, the group description stated.
“The Manchester Police Department wants our community to know that we aggressively investigate each and every reported threat to our schools. The Manchester Police Department encourages parents and students to immediately report any information regarding potential threats to our schools and or students by calling the Manchester Police Department at 732-657-6111,” Malland said.
Jersey Shore Online received this information after school hours and was unable to reach anyone in the Manchester Township School District for comment by deadline.
