Teenage ninja causes lock-down in 5 schools

Carly Shilling could hardly believe her eyes.

The librarian-in-training was a few minutes early for work at the Barnegat branch of the Ocean County Library on Wednesday morning when she saw a man dressed in what looked like black pajamas sprinting past the parking lot carrying a large sword.

"I was like, "Did I really just see a ninja?' " said Shilling, 23.

Turns out she did not

A ninja sighting in the woods near the Robert L. Horbelt Elementary School prompted a brief lockdown of the township's public schools before authorities realized the suspect in question was actually a camp counselor heading toward a costume party.
Shortly after 9 a.m. Wednesday, police received a call from a librarian at the local Ocean County Library branch on Burr Street reporting that a man dressed as a ninja, carrying a large sword, was running through the woods, Lt. Patrick Shaffery said. Police than initiated a lock-down of the five schools as a precaution, police said.

The lock-down — which restricts movement in and out of school buildings — was lifted by 9:30 a.m. after police learned the man in question was actually a camp counselor on his way to a costume-themed day at the Russell O. Brackman Middle School. The counselor, who was wearing a black karate gi and carrying a plastic sword, was running late and decided to take a shortcut through the woods, Shaffery said.

Officers eventually located Christopher Begley, 18, of Jon Drive, at Russell O. Brackman Middle School wearing a black karategi with a black belt and sneakers. He was standing with other costumed camp counselors, including a pirate and three-headed man. Begley said he was surprised to hear his outfit had created a commotion.

"They told us to create a persona that reflected our personality for orientation," said Begley, who has a black belt.

"It was a nice day out, so I decided to walk. I realized I was late so I started to run. I didn't even think anybody saw me," he said.

As for the sword, it was a footlong piece of gray plastic in a black holster that he bought from a dollar store.