Teen charged for fake gun in Maplewood, school locked down in Evesham

Classes at two New Jersey schools were disrupted in recent days by reports of people with guns nearby that turned out to be false.

Evesham Police said the VanZant School was put on lockdown late Monday afternoon after receiving a report about a male in the school yard carrying a gun. A 14-year-old, described by police as mentally ill, was found carrying a replica toy gun ad taken to a medical facility.

A 15-year-old boy at Columbia High School in Maplewood was charged with making a terroristic threat and false public alarm after he showed a weapon to a 14-year-old on Friday, Maplewood Police said. The 14-year-old became concerned it would be used against him, police said. Other students also saw the weapon and reported it to school staff.

Police say the boy removed the tag identifying the gun as a toy. He is also charged with possession of an imitation firearm, aggravated assault, and possession of a weapon in an educational institution.