Wednesday, March 05, 2008

The Moment Time Stopped

I got a phone call this afternoon that made my blood run cold. A friend of mine informed me that my daughter's school was in lock down due to a gun threat. She didn't have any other information than that. A gun threat at a middle to upper class middle school that parents send their kids to for a better, safer education. For fifteen minutes I knew nothing other than that. I called my husband and told him all I knew and to get to the school as fast as he could.

Many phone calls between many people later, it was learned through the news that it was reported that a gun "may" have been brought to school. The school was put on lock down - kids were locked in their classrooms with the lights turned off, huddled in the corner until the all clear was given.

The gun was never found and the students and staff were eventually dismissed. Ashley's phone paid for itself when she called me from the bus on her way home to check in with me. Unfortunately, during the lock down it was turned off and in her locker.

Everyone is safe here at home now and life goes on, but it's going to be hard sending her out the door in the morning. What is wrong with this world?! How are you suppose to send your kids to school after something like this happens? I just have to remind myself that it could have been so much worse.

7 comments:

maggie said...

So scary, Lynda! I just don't get it, either. I really, really don't. I don't even have anything intelligent to say and am at a complete loss for words (and you know that's rare for me). Glad that everyone is safe, but still, wtf? Wow. Scary.

Jon and Em said...

i just hope they don't give it a ton of attention on the news/media. not that it's not BIG news, but i swear that just fuels crazy peoples' thoughts, ya know!?

MamaFlo said...

How do kids this young get their hands on a gun? Guns are dangerous even in the hands of those that have been trained to use them.
I hate to sound so judgemental but where are the parents of these kids? I didn't have any privacy as a kid, my father was a cop and he had eyes everywhere I turned. His weapons were locked up tight, rounds removed, locking pin removed and then put in a metal safe that was locked and the safe was attached to another lock.
The parents of these kids need to be held responsible.
We're living in a world that is crazy and dangerous.

I'm sorry you had to go through this and especially sorry your daughter had to endure this but you can now have "that conversation" with her about the what ifs.

Unknown said...

Wow as a mom myself I have no words other than thank god they are ok. My husabnd wants me to homeschool It becomes more appealing everyday.

Author said...

My goodness! I'm so glad everything turned out well! It's terrifying, especially lately when so many school shootings are happening these days. It's terrifying, because you expect that your child is safe when you send them to school.

The lockdown thing gets me. I can see how it's better for the gun threat, it keeps the offender from walking into any room and shooting. But when I was in highschool, we got locked down for a bomb threat. You'd think they'd want us OUT of the building, not locked inside it!

Anyways, I'm so very very glad everything turned out okay. I hope they solve this so it's not a problem in the future.

Tasina said...

OMG how scary. I'm so glad everything is ok. Brrrrr.

Mz Diva said...

Most kids, (especially kids in middle school) who bring guns usually get them from their parents drawers! I have only seen two kids bring a gun to school and it wasn't the sterotypical "gangster" kid....it was the sterotypical "nerdy" type kid that was being picked on by others. Schools need more antibully programs so the kids who feel like they can't defend themselves don't have to bring a gun to school to get people to stop harassing them.