WOODBRIDGE, N.J. — A 17-year-old student at Woodbridge High School was arrested on March 18 after being caught with a loaded ghost gun on campus, prompting school officials to accelerate the installation of metal detectors at local high schools.
The student was taken into custody after administrators were alerted to a threatening text message. A subsequent search uncovered a ghost gun—a firearm lacking a serial number—raising immediate safety concerns across the district.
The teen now faces juvenile charges, including unlawful possession of a weapon and making terroristic threats, authorities confirmed. The student’s identity has not been released due to age.
In response, the Woodbridge Township School District, led by Superintendent Joe Massimino, announced an emergency measure to fast-track metal detectors at all three high schools: Woodbridge High School, Colonia High School, and John F. Kennedy Memorial High School.
The district had initially planned to implement the security upgrade during the 2025–26 school year, but the March 18 incident forced a dramatic shift in timeline.
In a letter to parents dated March 19, Massimino wrote that the district had already placed an order and that detectors would be “immediately deployed.”