Rider University was locked down for more than an hour while police investigated a called-in threat of violence April 3, according to the Lawrence Township Police Department.
A caller threatened violence in a phone call to the Rider University Public Safety Division around 1 p.m., police said. A shelter-in-place notification was sent out to students and staff in response to the threat.
Lawrence Township police officers conducted a thorough search of the campus and determined that it was not a credible threat. The shelter-in-place notification was lifted by Rider University officials.
Police determined that the phone call was a “swatting” incident. In a swatting event, a caller makes a threat that results in police and first responders rushing to the scene. It is comparable to a false alarm.
The Lawrence Township Police Department is investigating the swatting incident, with the help of state and federal law enforcement agencies. No arrests have been made, police said.
Anyone with information about the swatting incident is asked to call the Lawrence Township Police Department’s Investigative Division at 609-844-7107, or to email Sgt. Kevin Reading at kreading@lawrencetwp.com.
