The search began when a bystander walking at Saint Elizabeth University and near Convent Station encountered a man who had made a threat of violence and was potentially armed around 10:30 a.m., the prosecutor's office said in a release. The bystander reported the incident to the authorities.
As a precaution, Saint Elizabeth University was placed into lockdown, as was Fairleigh Dickinson's Florham Park campus.
Following a thorough response, which included a building-by-building response, investigative efforts did not identify a subject.
The lockdowns were lifted in the late afternoon hours.
"Contrary to social media reports, there is no confirmation of the presence of a subject possessing a firearm," the statement reads.
The search spanned Morris Township, Florham Park, and Madison.
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