OCEAN COUNTY – A juvenile has been charged after a bomb threat prompted the evacuation of multiple campus buildings at Georgian Court University, Ocean County authorities said.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that the juvenile was charged with making terroristic threats and causing a false public alarm in connection with the incident, which occurred on February 5.
According to prosecutors, Lakewood Township police were notified at approximately 2:45 p.m. that the university had received a phone call claiming a bomb was located inside a dormitory. Law enforcement ordered evacuations across campus as a precaution.
Officers from the Lakewood Township Police Department, assisted by the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit, conducted a systematic sweep of the university’s buildings. No explosive devices were found, officials said.
A joint investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Gangs, Intelligence and Homeland Security Unit, Lakewood Township Police detectives and the United States Department of Homeland Security traced the threatening call to a juvenile living in Hazlet Township, Monmouth County.
The juvenile was taken into custody and is being held at the Ocean County Juvenile Detention Center.
Due to the suspect’s age, authorities are not allowed to release the name.
Billhimer praised the coordinated response, saying the swift, multi-agency effort ensured the safety of students and staff while allowing investigators to quickly identify the source of the threat.
As with all criminal matters, the charges are accusations only. The juvenile is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
