Morris School District Supt. Anne Mucci apologized to parents on Monday for waiting five days before notifying them about the arrest of a former student who allegedly brought a concealed handgun into Morristown High School last month.
“We should have sent out the note right away…I accept responsibility for that. I apologize, and I clearly will tell you that (it’s a ) lesson learned,” Mucci said.
Blaming the delayed notification on “a lack of timely cooperation and response from law enforcement,” the superintendent said she has met with local police chiefs to review transparency, collaboration and security protocols.
Such steps are long overdue, countered Morris Township resident Robert Fraser, a parent and retired Sparta police officer. He gave the regional district an F for its handling of the May 15, 2025, incident, and rapped elected board members for not holding administrators accountable.
“Safety is paramount…It could have ended really bad that day,” Fraser told the board.
Vincent A. Phinn III, 20, of Morristown, was arrested at the high school entrance at 11:02 on that Thursday morning, according to police. They say they searched his crossbody bag and found a Smith and Wesson SW40VE semi-automatic handgun with a scratched-off serial number and a clip with 10 nine-millimeter bullets.
Mayor Tim Dougherty later praised School Resource Officer Christopher Little for recognizing and detaining Phinn until police arrived, actions that “undoubtedly contributed to maintaining the safety of the school community.” Little knew Phinn was wanted on a domestic violence warrant, police records say.
Phinn was remanded to the Morris County Jail pending prosecution on charges of second-degree Possession of a Handgun without a Permit, third-degree Possession of a Firearm on School Grounds without Authority; and Possession of a Defaced Firearm, a fourth degree offense.
A letter to parents did not go out until the following Tuesday, May 20, 2025. By then, parents were speculating about the incident on social media.
Morristown High School Principal Mark Manning wrote that a former student had come into the school requesting a transcript and remained at the security desk, where the School Resource Officer identified a warrant for the young man’s arrest.
Students sheltered-in-place in their classrooms for a few minutes to keep hallways clear, the letter recounted.
The suspect remained under constant supervision by law enforcement and never entered the school beyond the secured entry area, Manning wrote. The handgun was discovered during a routine search of his backpack conducted outside the building, the letter continued.
“Because it was so brief and routine in nature, we did not issue a (parental) notification at the time,” Manning stated.
“This was a serious situation, handled quickly and professionally. At no time were students or staff in danger. If there had been a credible threat to the school community, you would have heard from us immediately,” his letter asserted.
Manning concluded: “We remain committed to keeping our school safe and our families informed.”
Fraser was skeptical. Without the clamor on social media, he said, the district might never have acknowledged the incident. “Five days is inexcusable,” he said.
Morris Plains resident John Daily, another parent, said a concealed Smith and Wesson struck him as a credible threat.
“Is it routine for a loaded handgun to be brought into the school?” Daily asked, calling for installation of metal detectors.
“I mean, we all get that news flash every now and then: Shooting in Florida, shooting in Connecticut. We don’t want that here.”
Mucci said she met on May 30 with Morristown’s public safety director and police chiefs from Morristown, Morris Township and Morris Plains, to ensure future communications are “united and clear,” and that police can access district security cameras. Quarterly meetings are planned, she said.
Safety plans also have been added for large school events, Mucci said, along with procedures for security vestibules coming this summer to entrances at the high school and Frelinghuysen Middle School. The superintendent invited parents to join security committees at their children’s schools.
Noting that she is a parent, Mucci said she shared Daily’s frustrations as well as his gratitude to Officer Little.
“He’s a hero in my book,” Daily said.
Will be I interesting to follow all of the court proceedings in this matter. Why did he find it necessary to carry a loaded weapon into a public school? Why would he need that in Morristown ?Lots of questions here. Blessing nobody was hurt.
A real blessing that nobody was attacked or harmed. So thankful. Will be interesting to follow the court case proceedings i. This matter. It would be important to know why he needed to carry around a deadly weapon with him while visiting a public school.
Public apologies are overrated. No one was hurt and the perp was arrested.
It worked out.