Large drones have been hovering in formation over northern New Jersey, officials said Monday, leading to "unnerved" residents wondering what's behind these bright, unidentified flying objects appearing almost every night in the sky.
The FBI and Morris County Sheriff's Department are actively investigating the aerial phenomenon, which has been an annoyance but not yet any kind of safety threat, authorities said.
"There is no advisable immediate danger to the public at this time," Morris County Sheriff James Gannon said in a statement, "and the Sheriff’s Office, along with many law enforcement agencies are working in partnership on this matter."
Morris County resident Julie Shavalier said the mysterious night shows have been keeping her up.
"We're all completely unnerved," Shavalier told NBC News on Tuesday. "I didn't sleep last night."
Shavalier said she fears more sleepless nights are ahead.
"When I would get up and look out my window at 2 a.m., 4 a.m., they were still hovering," she added. "I got up at 5:30 a.m. this morning and they were still there as the sun was starting to rise. They went back in the same direction they came from, and I expect they'll be back as soon as the sun goes down tonight."
The drones began appearing in mid-November and have returned nightly, NBC New York reported.
“We’ve been seeing them every night, except Thanksgiving. I guess they took the night off,” area resident Mike Walsh told the outlet on Monday.
With this mystery unfolding in air space, that's drawn the attention of FBI agents who also have an interest in protecting federal officials.
Morris County sits just north of Somerset County, home of Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, a frequent overnight rest stop for President-elect Donald Trump.
"We are working with our state and local partners on the reported drone activity," an FBI representative said.
