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High School In Paterson Locked Down Amid Unconfirmed Reports Of Gunman Seeking Revenge

UPDATE: The words "active shooter" terrified some parents of students at a public high school in Paterson -- when, in fact, it was the term used by authorities to describe the law enforcement response to a report Wednesday that an assault victim had gone there with a gun.

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Photo Credit: Boyd A. Loving (DAILY VOICE file photo)

City Public Safety Director Jerry Speziale said no one with a gun showed up at John F. Kennedy High School, which was temporarily locked down before city police and Passaic County tactical units arrived.

They established a perimeter as part of an "active shooter" response and began searching the school and surrounding area while protecting students who were dismissed in groups of 50.

The initial report was that someone who'd been assaulted at the school earlier in the day returned armed. Word of the response triggered social media posts claiming that shots had been fired. One also incorrectly contended someone had been stabbed.

No one in authority would say whether the suspected student had made a direct threat or someone else told school officials that it would happen. It was certain that he'd even been identified.

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