N.J. school locked down Friday after toy gun spotted

    A realistic looking toy gun prompted a massive police response in one New Jersey school district.

    The Press of Atlantic City reports that schools in Middle Township were placed on lockdown Friday morning when someone spotted the gun in an eight-grade student’s backpack.

    Police Chief Chris Leusner says a 13-year-old boy brought a realistic looking Sig Sauer P226 Airsoft Pistol pellet gun to his middle school. The boy was detained and later charged with unlawful possession of a weapon on school grounds. The district’s four schools were placed on lockdown for about 45 minutes Friday.

    Officials tell the newspaper while the law enforcement response may have seemed extreme, they err on the side of caution because of the number of school shootings around the country.

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