151 personer har läst dagboksinlägget
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2007-04-17 23:35
Rapid City, SD, USA
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GUY WITH GUN AT CENTRAL!
Yep. that's the info I got today at about 9:45, or actually I only got the information that we had to go into a lock-down and secure the rooms. Which means turn of the lights sit on the floor and be totally quiet! About 10:15 I got the information why we had a lock-down, someone had seen a Native American guy (in jeans and white hoodie) carrying a gun inside Rapid City Central High School (my school for anyone who doesn't know). We remained in lock-down sitting quietly and pretty much just chilling. What can you do? Pretty much nothing, we got some information every now and then from the Principal on the speaker system, telling us to remain calm and that police where searching the building. I called Lisa telling her not to worry that everything was just fine. We actually started watching a movie (Smoke Signals) which we turned off when we saw (on the TV and not the projector) that their were News Reports from Central. We were all very eager to get more information about the incident and listened carefully. That was pretty much what we did for 3,5 hours. We saw pictures outside school with all police cars and the chaos outside with parents and cops and news reporters. By 11 pm we got the information that we were going to be evacuated from the building to the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center across the street from Central. We sat and waited and thought it would be like a five minutes waiting time, uhm, try like 2 hours. Yes, we sat and waited to leave the building for 2 hours. When the cops finally came and got us I got surprised of how armed they were, I hadn't really thought about how much weapon one guy can have! Let me tell you, it's a lot of guns! And that's pretty much the only time I got scared, I realized that this was real and not a drill. We had to walk in a line with our hands on the person in front of us shoulder. We walked over to the Civic center and once again it hit me how serious this was. It was cops, and journalists, and firetrucks, and paramedics the whole (short) way over to the civic center. When we got in to the Civic Center we had to sit down in the big arena waiting for more information. When we're sitting there Heather (Mo's cousin) says "If Mr. Jones (the principal) says that this is just a drill I will kick is ass!", and Dani who's sitting behind us says "Oh Crap! My mom just texted me saying that there wasn't any guy with a gun!", making us all turn around staring at her. And then Mr. Jones starts talking telling us that the guy with the gun never existed! Someone had just said it to be funny or whatever. Do I have to tell you that the "joke"wasn't very appreciated? We had been sitting in a classroom for frigging 3,5 hours during a lock-down for nothing? But the guy who made it up is in some deep shit right now, with both the school and the police department. Well, he better be! And he will hopefully NEVER return to Central again!
This whole thing caused every school in the school district to a lock-down, even the surrounding towns had lock-downs on their schools, Custer, Sturgis, Spearfish, Piedmont EVERYWHERE!
Well, we were dismissed early and all the activities for the rest of the day were canceled, including my Acting Recital, we'll see when that will be instead...
So that was a pretty exciting day for me... I don't think many exchange students can "brag" about being in a big lock-down with cops searching the school and evacuating you from the school. Like it's something to brag about... But now I definitely understand better WHY there has to be so much security in school with the ID-cards and Security Guards and everything. I am so happy it wasn't for real and that we all got out safely. The school and the police did an amazing job keeping us calm and giving us information and safely and as quick as possible move us from the school to the Civic Center.
April 20th is the "anniversary" (or whatever you can call it) of Columbine, which made this event a bit scarier especially after shooting in Virginia yesterday.
But yeah, I'm safe and you don't have to worry!
(And sorry for writing in English, but it was just easier...)
A video from the lock-down at Central.
Article about the lock-down.
So yep, that's pretty much my day today... Exciting huh?! :)
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