Law enforcement investigating threat by Keansburg student

A Keansburg student was charged with third degree Terroristic Threats after an alert school security officers overheard a threat made by the boy, Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni announced.  An ongoing investigation has concluded that the boy did not have the wherewithal to carry out the threat.

A search of the child’s home found no weapons.  However a school yearbook was discovered with several students photos blocked out. The boy told investigators those classmates were “mean” to him.

Gramiccioni is not identifying the boy because of his young age.

“We take all such threats very seriously. It is imperative that parents have regular conversations with their children about the importance of the words that they use and actions that their children take which could be construed as a threat to the safety of students and others,” Gramiccioni said.

“Bullying is taken seriously by law enforcement, school officials, and parents. Should bullying acts rise to the level of a criminal offense, there could be criminal consequences for juveniles and adults. There must be a better way to treat fellow classmates and others without causing stress and anxiety. Bullying is wrong. We must find a way to better assist those who are bullied so that the bullying conduct ceases, and also for victims of bullying to learn how to seek help in a non-violent way,” Gramiccioni added.

The Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, the Keansburg Police Department and the Middletown Police Department are continuing to investigate the incident.

The youth’s criminal case is being handled in the juvenile justice system and could result in incarceration for the young defendant.