Carson High School lockdown over, students leave campus bewildered; police investigating rumors
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Fri, 12/03/2010 - 1:50pm
Carson High School officials and authorities continue to investigate rumors that surfaced among students earlier today of a planned shooting to take place on campus.
The Carson High School campus was on locked down shortly after noon today because the rumors had come from multiple students, authorities said. Released from school at the end of the day, students described the situation as confusing and frightening because they weren't told why they were forced into their classrooms with the doors locked.
Ray Saylo, chief deputy of operations for Carson City Sheriffs Office, said school officials had heard the rumor circulating among students earlier today and made the decision to lock down the school to investigate.
Several students have been interviewed and there no suspects in custody at this time.
"The rumors have been unsubstantiated," Saylo said shortly before students were let out.
"It was weird, a few of the girls kind of freaked out and started crying and calling and texting," said Carson High student Trevor Tompkins. "Everyone kind of got loud and began talking to each other and on their cell phones and the teacher just kept teaching."
Officials say that all children in the school during the lock down were safe during the matter. Teachers were instructed to close and lock their doors. An announcment over the school PA system was made, advising students, in broad terms, that the school was on lockdown and students were not allowed to leave their classrooms.
Bewildered students released at 1:50 this afternoon described their teachers as being calm and standing close to the closed doors. Students reacted by texting and phoning their parents to let them know they were safe.
Tenth-grader Myranda Foreman said several students inside the classroom were scared because no one would tell them what was happening.
"The teacher sat by the door the whole time, and a wanted to let my mom and dad know so I texted them about what was going on," Foreman said. "Mom was worried."
In 10th grader Kerri Kelley's classroom, she described the atmosphere as students trying to pass by looking for things to do in the classroom. Some played with Pla-Doh, others tossed balls around.
Student Alicia McKnight, 16, said when she was told by her teacher not to text anyone, she thought about the school shooting at Columbine and said she thinks parents and kids need to be able to communicate with each other.
"I texted mom and dad to let them know and I think I should be allowed to do that," McKnight said.
Cody Boone, CHS senior, said his sister Baylee, a freshman, was communicating with him via text messages from inside her locked classroom. Cody said his sister and her classmates were sitting under tables and very scared.
Carson High students Jacob Dancer-Davis Chris Espinoza, and David Dahlinger said they went off-campus for lunch and returned with the school shut down. The boys, all juniors, said they immediately began texting their friends inside about what was going on.
Dancer-Davis said he was told from texting friends that there was a rumor about a shooting and that the rumor started earlier in the morning and spread. That's when the doors were shut and the hallways were cleared, his friends texted him.
"One of my texts came back that said the teacher said not to text because it interferes with what the police are doing," said Espinoza.
All athletics and after-school activities on the Carson High School campus will go on as scheduled, school officials said.
