By Stephanie Prokop, Staff Writer
FLORENCE A 16-year-old Florence Township Memorial High School student was charged with causing false public alarm Friday morning after he asked his mother to bring in a package that he said would “explode if dropped,” according to police.
There were no injuries to any students or staff members and no explosives were found, police said. Police also said the package contained white pellets that are commonly used inside of stuffed animals, and did not contain any explosive devices.
Police said the student had asked his mother to bring the package to school for a science project.
Superintendent Louis Talarico said that when the science teacher said that there was not a science assignment due, authorities intercepted the package when the mother first entered the school.
Dr. Talarico said the incident was an “excellent example on how our local and state law enforcement teams worked together to bring the situation under control.”
As the event was unfolding, students and teachers stayed locked in their classrooms, while school security removed the package and placed it in an open parking lot away from the school building.
Florence police secured the scene and contacted the New Jersey State Police Bomb Unit to examine the package. The county and state hazardous material teams also responded to assist.
”Everything remained under control,” said Dr. Talarico.
The state police bomb squad deemed the package to be plastic pellets commonly used in the manufacture of stuffed toy animals. A bomb-sniffing dog from the Burlington County Sheriff’s Department was also used to search the the school and found nothing.
Authorities reported that the high school resumed its normal operation at 9:55 a.m.
Dr. Talarico said school officials sent an e-mail to all parents and guardians, letting them know exactly what was happening.
He said he could not comment further on the details of the incident, and that disciplinary action was a private matter between school officials and the student.
The student also was charged with disorderly conduct, and causing or risking widespread injury or damage, and was lodged in the Juvenile Detention Center pending a court date.
A county spokesman said Thursday that the boy was still in the Juvenile Detention Center and a after a hearing a judge had requested further review of the circumstances.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated since the print edition to include the county spokesman’s remarks.