PARK RIDGE, N.J.—Students and staff sheltered in place for hours at Park Ridge High School on April 11 following a threat made online that administrators and police said was specific.
The lockdown did not affect East Brook and West Ridge Elementary schools, though administrators were notified and police maintained a presence there for the rest of the school day.
At about 1:15 p.m., students and teachers at the high school were told to shelter in place until school was dismissed. Dismissal was on a staggered basis starting about 2:45 under the direction of law enforcement personnel, said Dr. Robert Gamper, superintendent of Park Ridge School District.
Gamper said a specific threat—later determined to be unfounded—against the high school and staff mobilized a coordinated police response, including police from Montvale, Woodcliff Lake and two mobile Bergen County SWAT units. All afternoon school activities were cancelled.
Park Ridge Police Capt. Joseph Rampolla said the unusual high school dismissal ran without incident and that the lockdown was ordered due to “an abundance of caution,” according to published reports.
Rampolla said the next day the threat was under investigation and that anyone with a tip should bring it to the attention of Police Detective Chris Puglis at cpuglis@parkridgepolice.com.
Pascack Press reached out to Park Ridge Police and Gamper for additional information but none was available at press time.
—Staff report