Gunshots Heard By Pilgrim Academy

A little more than 320 students, faculty and staff were on campus at Pilgrim Academy when the building was locked down at 9:28 a.m., Headmaster Chris Storr said.

Students went back to regular classes at 10:40 a.m. and by 11:30 a.m., Stockton, Absegami and Pilgrim lifted their lockdowns.

The school’s director of security and a faculty member heard gunfire Thursday morning and a staff members called police, who responded in minutes, Storr said.

“Faculty and staff did a great job, I’m very thankful for them,” he said. “We’re very thankful everyone is all right and students are safe,” he said.

Stockton police confirmed a report of shots fired in the area Thursday. The university lifted the lockdown before noon.

“Our police have responded to shots fired that came from a local residence that came from our Germania section of the township close to Pilgrim academy,” Mayor Anthony J. Coppola said in a phone interview. “Everyone in the school is safe, they followed proper protocol,” he said. “At no time were any of the staff or the children in jeopardy.”

Police released information Thursday in a Facebook post, which quickly drew dozens of comments both supporting and deriding the police response.

Thursday evening, Higbee weighed in with a separate post: “Let me be very clear this was no hunting issue and certainly not anything remotely close to target shooting. To be dismissive of a serious incident and the subsequent reactions by those we trust with the safety of our children and family members is appalling and irresponsible.”

She thanked the schools that locked down and their personnel, as well as the responding officers and other agencies.

“Everyone involved did exactly what they were supposed to do today and thats a fact!” she wrote.

The road used to access the private school off West Moss Mill Road, Genoa Road, has three houses lining the street. Trees and shrubs separate the houses from the road, while dense woods lie behind. None of the residents in the homes the answered their doors when a reporter from The Press of Atlantic City knocked Thursday afternoon.

Michael Maggi, 57, was arrested without incident and numerous firearms and ammunition were recovered at his residence, police said. He was charged with risking widespread injury, disorderly conduct and harassment and taken to the Atlantic County jail.

Chief Donna Higbee said the charges are not hunting-related.

Moss Mill Road from Odessa Avenue to Rutgers Court was closed for two hours Thursday morning. Two Galloway Township police vehicles were stationed, with one officer holding an AR-15 rifle and directing traffic.

Besides Galloway police, New Jersey State Police, Stockton University Police and the Galloway Township Ambulance Squad responded.

In response to the Galloway incident, Mullica Township schools had a precautionary shelter-in-place from 10:01 a.m. to 10:31 a.m., Mullica police said.

Entire article at
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/breaking/multiple-school-hospital-lockdowns-lifted-in-atlantic-cumberland-counties/article_e3007bfd-a38c-5f67-a1a9-aacd42fdc4b5.html