High school custodian found packing material for a spring-loaded rifle and handgun in a trash can inside the school
By John Tredrea, Staff Writer
Area police searched Hopewell Valley Central High School (CHS) and nearby Sypek Center on Sept. 6, the first day of school, after a CHS custodian found packing material for a spring-loaded rifle and handgun in a trash can inside the school.
Since that time, no weapons have been found at either school, police Chief George Meyer said Wednesday. Township Detective Michael Simonelli is in charge of the investigation, which is continuing. Police said they were unable to discuss matters related to this investigation.
”We were faced with a situation where there were potentially two weapons in the school that would appear to most people to be an actual assault rifle and an actual semi-automatic handgun,” Chief Meyer said. “Had a student pulled one of these weapons out in a classroom, or the cafeteria, the results could have been tragic on many levels,” the chief explained.
The incident began shortly after 11 a.m. on Sept. 6 when school officials called police to report a suspicious item that had been found inside the school.
”A custodian found a block of Styrofoam, which was obviously the packing material for a spring-loaded rifle and a handgun, as indicated by the molded shapes and an attached label,” Chief Meyer said. “The item was located inside of a trash can inside of the school.” The chief said that because the can had been emptied earlier in the day, officials knew the packing material must have been placed inside the can on Sept. 6.
Emergency procedures were instituted to secure the school, but a full lockdown was not ordered, Chief Meyer said. “The building was secured and students were kept in their classrooms,” he said.
School officials used several methods to alert parents, including e-mail blast, local cable channel and Web site postings.
School officials — with police present — checked every student locker. JoAnn Meyer, director of communications and development for the school district, said there are “close to 1,500 lockers at the high school.”
Finding nothing in the lockers, police then systematically searched every student as he/she moved from classrooms, cafeteria, gymnasium, etc. and placed in the school’s performing arts center and gymnasium. “The search of the students failed to turn up the guns. Student cars in the school’s parking lots were searched by school officials,” Chief Meyer said. Students were present during those searches.
The student body was dismissed at the normal time. After that, another search of the school was conducted, but again no weapons were found, Chief Meyer said.
Hopewell Township police were assisted by Pennington police officers. Hopewell Valley Emergency Services provided an ambulance on stand-by at the high school in case it was needed, Chief Meyer said.
During the same time period, Hopewell Township police, assisted by Ewing Township police, “initiated a lockdown at the Mercer County Vocational-Technical School (Sypek Center) on Bull Run Road, “because a number of Central High students had been bused there for classes. Searches there did not locate any weapons,” the chief added. He said police decided that a lockdown at Sypek was prudent, because of the layout of the facility. It has four buildings, unlike Central High, which has just one.
Central High staff handled the entire incident in an extremely professional manner, the chief said. “Students were very cooperative and understanding of this major disruption and inconvenience on their first day back to school,” he noted.
HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL MIKE DAHER, in a Sept. 6 message to parents/guardians, said, in part: “All staff and students were told to remain in the classrooms and/or lunch room while we began a search of the building. School administrators searched student lockers and common areas throughout the building. After that search was completed, students were systematically searched as they moved from classrooms to the high school auditorium or new gymnasium. The search of the lockers and students failed to turn up the soft pellet guns. Student cars were then searched in the parking lots by school administrators while students were present. Again, that search failed to produce the soft pellet guns.
”Unfortunately, one of our three lunch periods was canceled and approximately one third of our student population missed a lunch period,” Mr. Daher noted.
”This incident was extremely disruptive and had a definite impact on instruction and learning. Therefore, we would truly appreciate any help students or community members could give to us in trying to resolve this issue. Any information you give to the high school administration or police will be kept confidential,” the principal said.
He also said: “The high school administration will make every effort to be as visible as possible to address student questions or concerns. Our guidance counselors will also be available to students should they feel the need to speak to one in the near future. In closing, I would like to reassure our parents that our students’ safety is our paramount concern and, as such, is very much a part of every decision that we make as school officials.”
ELABORATING on “why we responded the way that we did,” Chief Meyer said: “Manufacturers of toy guns and pellet guns make their products as real-looking as possible. Often it is virtually impossible for untrained people to tell a real firearm from a toy or pellet gun. Certainly teachers and students cannot be expected to tell the difference.
”The fact that we were only looking for pellet guns — which can inflict harm, but are unlikely to cause serious injury or death — is far overshadowed by the potential the guns held from their very realistic appearance,” Chief Meyer concluded.

