Video game talk leads to lockdown at Hillsborough High

HILLSBOROUGH A discussion of a video game led to a lockdown at Hillsborough High School shortly after school began on Thursday morning.

In a letter sent to parents later Thursday morning, principal Karen Bingert wrote that the lockdown was initiated after staffers received a report of a comment made by a student who said that another student may have had a gun.



Police were called and the building was locked down as a safety precaution, she said.



Police traced the comment about a gun to a discussion of a video game. Police also determined that no one in the school had actually seen a gun, the principal wrote.



"At this time," Bingert wrote, "it has been determined that there is no need for concern and no threat to the safety and well-being of the HHS family."



Students remained in Period 1 for about 15 minutes after the lockdown was over "to allow everyone time together to debrief and relax." Period 2 was eliminated and students went directly to Period 3.



Counseling was available to students throughout the day.



"I fully understand how upsetting it can be, especially as you are dealing with the unknown," Bingert told parents, "but I am grateful for your trust in the administrators and police as we worked very quickly to ensure that everyone was safe."



Bingert wrote that the students were "well-behaved" during the lockdown.



"I must also thank the Hillsborough Township Police Department for their quick response and thorough investigation of this matter," Bingert wrote.



"I am always proud to be the principal of Hillsborough High School, but never more so than when we all pull together in an emergency," the principal said.



Reports that the school had been locked down created a social media storm as media outlets reported an initial report of the lockdown shortly after school started.



Parents on Hillsborough forums on Facebook said they kept in contact with their children through texts.One student told his mother that the doors to the classroom were locked and students were sitting in the corners.



While one parent called the lockdown "overkill," most parents defended the school for taking quick action and precautions after the conversation was reported.



Staff Writer Mike Deak: 908-243-6607; mdeak@mycentraljersey.com



