A New Jersey teen was arrested for threatening to shoot up his high school’s graduation ceremony, officials announced Thursday.
Matthew Vanderbeek, 19, allegedly made social media posts earlier this week vowing to gun down classmates and staff at New Egypt High School’s Thursday evening commencement, authorities said in a statement announcing his arrest.
A tipster alerted the school’s administration, who in turn called the cops, according to the Plumsted Township School District.
Investigators on Tuesday identified Vanderbeek as the source of the threats, and executed a search warrant at the teen’s Cream Ridge, NJ home, officials said.
Cops — including a K-9 team trained to find guns and ammunition — cleared the home and arrested Vanderbeek without incident, authorities said.
Vanderbeek is charged with making terroristic threats to kill, as well as attempting to possess a firearm for an unlawful purpose, for allegedly trying to get his hands on a gun to carry out the attack.
His arraignment is pending.
The graduation ceremony is scheduled to go on as planned, albeit with an increased police presence, the school district said.
“Please understand this situation was dealt with promptly and professionally to insure the safety at, as well as the memories from the graduation of the Class of 2018,” district head Gerald North wrote in a letter to students’ parents.