Somerset Police Investigating ‘Rumor of a Threat’ Toward High School Student
SOMERSET — An investigation is underway after rumors were circulating of a threat toward a Somerset Berkley Regional High School student on Monday.
In an email to parents sent at around 6 a.m. today, Superintendent Jeffrey Schoonover informed parents that at about 10:30 p.m. on Monday, December 6, Somerset Police were informed “that a rumor of a threat towards a Somerset Berkley student was made sometime yesterday afternoon. The student the threat was made on will not be at the school building today. No other names were associated with this rumor.”
Somerset Police Chief Todd Costa confirmed to WBSM News that the department was “investigating a rumor which was apparently circulating to some degree at the high school yesterday.” He said the rumor was reported to police by a concerned student, and that the subject of the threat and their parents were notified.
“We, to this point, have not been able to attribute the threat to a suspect,” Costa said. “We have no evidence at this time that this threat, whether actual or otherwise, is related to any other incident in any school in the state.”
Schoonover wrote in his email to parents that police “found no evidence of anything other than rumor.”
“Nonetheless, out of an abundance of caution, we will have extra police presence at the high school campus today,” he wrote. “The safety of all is our first priority and we have taken this rumor very seriously.”
The Somerset School Resource Officer, with assistance from the Somerset Police Detective Division, is continuing the investigation, Costa said.
Schoonover said anyone with information on the rumor should contact the SRO, the school, or Somerset Police.