Lawrence High school placed on lockdown after weapon found on student
Lawrence, NJ (Mercer) Lawrence high school was placed on lockdown Wednesday morning after school administrators say a student brought a weapon to school.
Officials at Lawrence High School said administrators were told around 8:30 a.m. that a student “might be in possession of a weapon at the school.”
During a search of the student, officials say a weapon was found.
The school was placed on lockdown after the discovery and later moved to a shelter-in-place when it was determined that there was no imminent threat. Out of an abundance of caution, local authorities helped search the entire school and all student backpacks.
Students resumed their school day after the building was deemed safe. “The safety and security of our students and staff will always be our top priority,” Superintendent Ross Kasun said. “Weapons of any kind are not permitted on or near school property.”
Officials did not say what kind of weapon was brought to school by the student. Kasun said that any student caught with a weapon will be “referred to law enforcement and punished accordingly.”
Lawrence Police statement: On Wednesday, December 8, 2021, at approximately 0830hrs, the administration at Lawrence High School was informed that a student was possibly in possession of a weapon. They, along with Lawrence Township Police Department School Resource Officer Steven Austin located the student and recovered a loaded handgun. The student was immediately taken into custody without incident.
The Lawrence Township Police Department in conjunction with the Lawrence High School administration, Mercer County Prosecutors Office, and Mercer County Sheriffs Department began conducting a detailed investigation. At this time, the school was placed in lockdown and a K-9 sniff of all student’s book bags was conducted. No other weapons were located during this investigation. The exterior of the school and the surrounding area were also searched by officers which yielded negative results.
The student who was taken into custody is being charged with the following offenses: • Possession of a Weapon• Possession of a Weapon for Unlawful Purposes• Possession of a firearm on school grounds• Possession of a defaced firearm
Thank you for this coverage. Now follow up with conversations with students and parents. Where did it come from? Who was he after and why? Bullying involved? Drugs? Mental health concerns? Depression? What is going on inside Lawrence high? Good school. Good teachers. How is the new african american school inclusion incentive going? Was this related to that? Don’t let the children keep this bottled up. Debrief is needed. Not just send them home to their parents. Parents need answers too. Dont wait until there is an incident worse to gather them together around and talk about this.