KINGWOOD: Rifle reported seen in truck near Kingwood school

Police would like to hear from anyone near school between 2 and 3 p.m. Tuesday

   State Police are investigating a report of a man with a long gun in a pickup at the Kingwood Township Elementary and Middle School on Route 519.
   According to Hunterdon County Prosecutor Anthony Kearns III, “At 2:21 p.m. Tuesday, a substitute trainee on her first day working at the Kingwood Township School reported to the State Police’s Kingwood station that she saw what she thought was a long gun being placed onto the back seat of a black four-door pickup truck by an Hispanic or white male with short hair. She reported that she saw this happen in front of the school.”
   State Troopers arrived within moments of the report, along with police officers from Frenchtown and Delaware Township, and were unable to locate the truck, police said.
   Nearby police departments were immediately alerted of the incident and given a description of the vehicle. Officers set up surveillance of the area but were unable to locate the suspect vehicle. Detectives from the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office are working with the State Police on the investigation.
   Mr. Kearns added: “At this time, we do not believe that the alleged weapon that the woman reported seeing was an assault rifle, as had been previously reported by the press. That being said, all information has been and will be taken seriously and investigated properly.”
   The county executive superintendent of schools has been in touch with all county schools to make them aware of the incident and take proper security precautions, according to our Safe Campus Initiative and Standard Response Protocols, according to police.
   Detectives are looking for anyone who may have been in the area of Kingwood Township School between 2 and 3 p.m. and may have seen anything to help the investigation.
   Anyone with information can contact the Kingwood State Police barracks at 908-996-2864 or the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office at 908-788-1129.
   Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-321-0010 or by going to www.crimestoppershunterdon.com, or text messaging “HCTIPS” plus your tip message to 274637 (CRIMES). Tipsters can also download the free mobile app “Tipsubmit” and select Hunterdon County to submit anonymous tips via text messaging. All tips are anonymous and kept confidential.