A Timeline of Events in Saturday's Police Investigation at James Caldwell High School

by Carolyne Volpe Curley / Carolyne@WestEssexNOW.com
Published 10:30pm

WEST CALDWELL, NJ - On Saturday, Feb. 24, West Caldwell Police and police from the surrounding West Essex community responded immediately to James Caldwell High School on reports of an individual possibly at the school with a gun. 

What follows is a timeline of events which eventually led to the arrest of former student Michael Schmitt, 18, of West Caldwell. 

Michael Schmitt

Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018

2:16pm

• A call came into West Caldwell Police from a student at James Caldwell High School stating that she had received a Tweet from a student with a gun displayed in his photo, along with a disturbing soundclip
  
  
• The student and many of her classmates were present at the school to participate in the school's annual Music Marathon which was scheduled to take place until 6pm
  
  
• Within seconds a call went out, first to West Caldwell patrol units, and then to all West Essex police patrol units, asking them to report to the school to investigate the possible presence of a handgun
  
  
• The female student sent a copy of the Tweet to her mother who contacted a school administrator

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• Besides the threatening photograph of a male holding a gun, police were also presented with a recording which was attached to it, presumably recorded by the same male
  ​
  • The recording was attached to the image shown above which specified JCHS, the initials of the high school
    
    
  • In the recording, the male is screaming a highly explicit and violent verbal attack against either a specific female or females in general
    
    
  • The recording can be found online here under the user name illschmitt 

2:17pm

• Patrol units from West Caldwell Police, Caldwell Police, Essex Fells Police, Fairfield Police and North Caldwell all responded to the school and formed a perimeter around the exterior
  
  
• A West Caldwell officer who had gone inside of the school reported that all appeared normal
  
  

2:19pm

• The school administrator and the student's mother met a West Caldwell officer outside of the building and displayed the content of the Tweet 
  
  

2:22pm

• ​School Administration asked students and guests to report immediately to the auditorium
  
  
• Performers for the music production all reported to a music room where they went into a practiced locked down, which included:
  
  • door locked
  • lights off
    
  • staying silently in a closet
    
  • or lying down on the floor
  • windows locked and shades drawn

2:23pm

• Four armed West Caldwell officers began an interior inspection of the school, in practiced formation
  
  
• The entire outside exterior perimeter of the school was declared "locked down" and waiting patrols units surrounded the school in a protective formation
  
  

2:38pm

• A search of all of the hallways in each wing and all of the unlocked rooms in the building was completed and declared safe
  
  
• Police asked for a custodian to unlock the other classrooms

 
2:48pm

• A group of Students from the auditorium were led out of the building to the safety of the waiting exterior patrol units
  
  

2:49pm

• A second group of Students from the Auditorium were led out to safety 

2:55pm

• The Custodian was located and an inspection of the locked rooms began

2:58pm

• A third group of Students from the locked down room were led out to safety 

2:59pm

• A fourth group of Students from the locked down room were led out to safety 

3pm

• The school was turned over to the school administration
  
  
• All mutual aid police were released from protective duty

West Caldwell Police Chief Gerard Paris then released the following statement:

West Caldwell Police was notified
of a potential threat at the high school.
Officers were sent to investigate and administrators
put the school in to a lock down as a precaution.
No danger was found to the students.
​Our investigation continues.

Michael Schmitt PHOTO: Essex County Jail

On Sunday, afternoon, Paris then stated the following information about Saturday's incident:

• The West Caldwell Police received a report of a threatening message which was sent through social media during the school's Music Marathon
  
  
• Caldwell, Essex Fells, Fairfield and North Caldwell all assisted West Caldwell Police while the school was placed on lock down and no threats were found
  
  
• Police tied Michael Schmitt to the social media post and took him into custody
  
  
• Schmitt was charged with False Public Alarm, 2nd Degree
  
  
• Schmitt was brought to the Essex County Jail and is awaiting a hearing​

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The following notice was then sent out to parents from the school administration: 

Dear JCHS Students and Parents/Guardians,

I know many of you have been waiting for additional details regarding yesterday's lockdown and tomorrow's school procedures. I have been in close contact with the West Caldwell Police and here is some of the information that I now have permission to share with you.

• The student who posted the threatening message and song on social media was arrested, is in the Essex County Jail and is awaiting a hearing (which will not happen until tomorrow afternoon).
  
  
• This student acted alone.
  
  
• The student was never on the JCHS campus on Saturday,
  
  
  • he never indicated having plans to go to the JCHS campus or hurt random people at the high school,
    
    
  • but since "JCHS" was in his post, the building was put into lockdown.
    ​
    
  • Fortunately, the police quickly had the boy in custody.
    
    
• The West Caldwell Police confirmed that there is no threat to the high school and it is safe to have school on Monday.
  
  
• Although there is no threat to the school, we will have an increased police presence at the school tomorrow so students, faculty, and parents feel more secure.
  
  
• As far as procedures at our school tomorrow, there will be a few slight adjustments:
  • We will be cancelling 7:10 classes tomorrow so I have time to speak with the teachers before they start their school day. Zero labs will meet tomorrow.
    
    
  • Since there will not be 7:10 classes, we are asking that no student arrive at school before 7:45 a.m. tomorrow.
    
    
  • We also want all students to enter the building in the morning through the Athletic Lobby doors or the Auditorium Lobby doors.
    
    
  • Again, there is no threat, but we will have administrators at both entrances so we see if anyone seems upset or nervous, and be a resource if needed.
    
    
  • Students may still be dropped off on Park Street, but those students will have to walk to the front of the building to enter.
    
    
  • Detective Mazzeo and I will be meeting with the music students during mod 1-2 and mod 3-4 to help bring closure to this event.

After the Parkland shooting, Detective Mazzeo and I decided to meet with every student to review our security procedures and answer questions. We planned to meet tomorrow to develop a schedule because I wanted these meeting to be with relatively small groups to make sure all students are heard. We still plan to have these security meetings, but if any student would like to speak with either of us sooner, please see me or send an email.

I know that despite the assurances of the West Caldwell Police, some students are still nervous about coming to school tomorrow, I hope this additional information makes most of you feel more comfortable and secure. Certainly, the police presence tomorrow will make it one of the safest days to come to school.

As I mentioned in my email on Saturday, I regret that our students had to experience this lockdown, but I am proud of the actions of our students, faculty, administrators, and the West Caldwell Police.
Please contact me with any questions.

Sincerely,
Jim Devlin
Principal
James Caldwell High School
973-228-6981

While the investigation continues, West Caldwell Police are asking anyone who has information about this matter to contact them at:
​973-226-4114.

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