Brookdale experienced a lockdown on March 2.

The Rave Alert message went out at 2:56 p.m. It read, “BROOKDALE EMERGENCY ALERT for Lincroft – All **LOCKDOWN NOW**BROOKDALE EMERGENCY ALERT**LOCKDOWN NOW**This is an EMERGENCY**STAY CALM**Report of a POSSIBLE THREAT on or near the campus.*

Secure yourself in a room, follow lockdown protocols [Lock the door, turn out the lights, hide, silence/don?t turn off smartphone, prepare to defend self, if necessary]. Police are responding to and investigating the report. Monitor your BCC email for further updates and information.”

Experiences during the lockdown varied.

“I was in class,” said Grace Bergen, a 19-year-old Brookdale student from Red Bank. “My professor was the one who notified us we were locked down.”

“It’s extremely scary while it is happening,” Bergen said. “My mind always goes to the worst case scenario.”

“My mom and I were on our way to Brookdale to pay a bill and pick out classes for summer. Both entrances were blocked off by police,” said Gia Emanule, a 20-year-old psychology major from Howell. “At both entrances they told us to not come in.

I just saw a bunch of police officers and cop cars with their lights on ahead in the Brookdale campus.”
“I feel safe for the most part, but for something like that to happen … it was scary,” Emanule said.
“I didn’t even know there was a lockdown,” said Arianna Guerrero, a 19-year-old nursing student from Hazlet. 

“I always assume it is nothing serious,” Guerrero said. “But one day it could be. I guess it’s good to have practice.”
This event happened the day after the Brookdale Police Department was disbanded, and the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Department took over patrol of the campus.

“The cop said that there was a situation and to come back another day. I did not get a notification until I was halfway home,” Emanule said. “Finally, I got emails and texts about how there was a lockdown in place, and there was some sort of threat that happened and now a person is in custody.”

At 3:14 p.m. a second Rave Alert was sent out. It said, ” The situation that caused the lockdown of the Lincroft campus has been resolved. The person who caused the threat is in custody. It is safe to end the lockdown.”
At 3:58 p.m. BCC President David Stout sent an email to the college community. “The lockdown this afternoon was activated when a student was overheard by a faculty member in class making a threat to harm himself.

Out of an abundance of caution, the college was briefly placed in lockdown until the threat could be assessed and the student could be brought to police headquarters for questioning where it was determined that there was no imminent threat to the college community. Thank you all for responding quickly to this situation and for understanding that the safety of our students and employees is always paramount.

Special thanks to the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Officers on campus and Christopher Jeune, Executive Director of Student Services, who responded immediately.” Those on campus should be aware that when an emergency or risk occurs on campus, Brookdale will notify students and employees through RAVE text alert system, Cisco phone system, employee voicemail, email, Brookdale’s website, social media and Brookdale public radio- WBJB 90.5 FM.