FREEHOLD - The father of a Monmouth University football player charged with the armed robbery of two fellow students told News 12 that the incident was a Halloween prank.

Keith Williams, 18, of Baltimore, Maryland, made his first court appearance in front of Monmouth County Superior Court Judge David Bauman on Thursday afternoon to face the armed robbery charge.

His father Kenny Williams traveled from Maryland for his son's court appearance, but arriving too late to catch the brief proceeding. He told News 12 that the incident was a Halloween prank, even though it occurred the day after the holiday.

"It was a dumb mistake, a dumb prank, and he gotta deal with it. But I just want people to know the real deal... not keep making my son look like he's a terrorist or something," he told the news channel.

Representatives from the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office said Williams was wearing a hooded black sweatshirt and a stocking mask when approached two Monmouth University students on the West Long Branch campus at approximately 9:20 p.m. on Tuesday and pulled out what appeared to be a handgun.

He demanded the cell phones, wallets and other possession from the two unidentified students before fleeing the scene, officials said.

The campus was placed on lockdown for approximately two hours as police searched the area for the weapon, which officials said was later determined to be an imitation handgun.

Williams, who has been suspended from the football team indefinitely, was lodged in the Monmouth County Correctional Institution on $100,000 bail with no 10 percent option.

Bauman ordered Williams to have no contact with his alleged victims and not to the return to the scene of the alleged robbery, which is the Monmouth University campus.

Rob Spahr may be reached at rspahr@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheRobSpahr. Find NJ.com on Facebook.