Recovered firearm in Union Catholic High School leads to lockdowns, student arrested

By Alvin Wu
Domestic Affairs
Recovered firearm in Union Catholic High School leads to lockdowns, student arrested

A view of the front of Union Catholic High School in Scotch Plains, N.J., on Feb. 7, 2024. ZFJ/Zoe Wu

SCOTCH PLAINS, N.J., Feb. 7 (ZFJ) — The discovery of a firearm in Union Catholic High School on Monday, Jan. 22, resulted in lockdowns at nearby schools and the arrest of one student.

The Scotch Plains Police Department said in a press release that it received a call at about 10:45 a.m. from a Union Catholic administrator concerning a handgun that had been recovered in the school.

The school was placed on lockdown, and Scotch Plains police officers recovered the weapon.

“There were no indications of threats or harm to the school, students, or personnel during the incident,” said Scotch Plains Police Chief Jeffrey Briel in a statement.

The Scotch-Plains Fanwood school district was placed in a temporary lockdown that was lifted at about 2:40 p.m. Schools in Fanwood and Westfield also went under a shelter in place.

At about 8:00 p.m. on Jan. 22, a juvenile student was arrested in connection with this incident and charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a defaced firearm, and possession of a firearm in an educational institution, according to Briel.

“There is considered to be no continued threat, and the school is deemed safe and secure,” he said.

References