52°
The "swatting" incident began shortly before 9 a.m. Friday, March 4, when a caller "indicated he put bombs at a specific location" on school grounds, said Hackensack Police Capt. Darrin DeWitt, the officer in charge of the department.
Area streets were closed down and students and staff were moved to safe locations, the captain said.
The Bergen County Sheriff's Bomb Squad and K-9 Unit "assisted Hackensack police officers in checking the exterior and interior of the school," DeWitt said.No device was found, he said.
Everyone began returning at 10:30 a.m., the captain said.
"There is nothing to indicate that the phone call was made by a student and the call appears to have originated from out of state," DeWitt said.
An investigation was continuing, he said.
DeWitt thanked city firefighters, the sheriff's office and the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office for their assistance.
"Appreciation is also extended to the Hackensack Board of Education and Hackensack schools' administration and faculty," he said.
DeWitt gave special thanks to the students and their parents.
"The students remained calm, orderly, and followed directions," he said. "The parents, who were understandably concerned, remained patient and stayed out of the area, which let us focus on making sure that everyone was safe.
"Fortunately, there were no injuries of any type."
Click here to follow Daily Voice Paterson and receive free news updates.
