NJ school locked down after 10-year-old boy dies from gunshot to head

🚨A 10-year-old boy was found near Birches Elementary with a gunshot wound

🚨The school was put on lockdown after the initial report

🚨A police investigation is ongoing into the boy's death

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP (Gloucester)— A 10-year-old boy found with a gunshot wound to the head Tuesday at his home Wednesday afternoon led to a lockdown of a nearby school.

Police Chief Patrick M. Gurcsik said the nearby Birches Elementary School, which the boy attended, was on a short lockdown as law enforcement responded to a home on Westminster Boulevard around 2:35 p.m. The boy was pronounced dead at the scene.

The identity of the boy was not disclosed.

Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office Chief of County Detectives Thomas Gilbert told New Jersey 101.5 that the investigation is ongoing and could not disclose additional details about the incident.

"This incident has deeply impacted the entire Washington Township community. Counseling and support services are being coordinated through the school district for students, staff, and families affected by this heartbreaking loss," Gurcsik said.

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Support for teachers

Gurcsik said there will be an increased police presence around the school and offered educators at the school his department's support.

"This morning, you walk into your building with heavy hearts, your minds working to process a tragedy. And yet, you will show up — professionally, compassionately — offering strength and comfort to our youngest hearts and minds, all while carrying your own grief," Gurcsik wrote. "We see you. We hear you. And we are here for you."

Anyone with information about the incident should contact the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office at 856-384-5500.

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