NC Students Acknowledge False Threat that Caused Lockout
November 6, 2019
On October 18th, NC was forced to go under lock down for almost two hours due to the report of an armed, suspicious person near the school. This threat turned out to be false; nonetheless, this event was very traumatic for NC students and staff largely due to armed policemen systematically clearing the school.
By the end of the day, the school was empty due to all the students who went home. So many students went home that many teachers didn’t go through with their lesson plans. The false threat caused almost the entire academic day to go to waste.
By the end of the day, the school was empty due to all the students who went home. So many students went home that many teachers didn’t go through with their lesson plans. The false threat caused almost the entire academic day to go to waste.
Many students experienced anger or frustration that one student’s false report caused them to believe that their lives were in danger. There were also many other reactions amongst NC students and staff. Jozlin Tyner, a junior at NC, said “I mostly just felt relieved that nothing bad had happened.”
According to the NCHS press statement issued later that day, “A Safe2Tell report was received that identified a suspicious person on the campus of Natrona County High School. As soon as these reports are received by District officials and law enforcement, immediate actions are taken to secure the school environment. That is our priority.”
Afterwards, NC went into “shelter in place,” a lock down procedure where no one can leave the room they are in at the time the procedure starts. Law enforcement went through the building to ensure that there was no threat. Many students were scared of the police who entered rooms with guns drawn, barking commands when a student did not comply with what was asked. When asked if she thought the police acted appropriately, Alayna Stone, a sophomore at NC, said, “From what I’ve heard from friends, I think not. A friend told me that they did point a gun at her face and told her to put her book down.” Assistant Principal Dresang said, “I think the police acted appropriately. It was a very tense situation and those types of events don’t happen often, so when they do there is going to be a lot of people scared and feeling as if ‘that reaction was over the top.’ We had reports of someone with a gun on campus, so the police need to respond to not only keep students safe, but to keep themselves safe as well.”
The spreading of partially true rumors did nothing to help the situation. Tweets like “there are teenagers with guns” were technically true, since ROTC was drilling with guns. Students’ communications over texting and snapchat caused widespread confusion and anxiety. It got so bad that Principal Harris eventually came onto the intercom to tell students to put away their phones.
All student discipline is confidential; however, if the district follows it’s own rules then the student who falsely reported on Safe2Tell should have a consequence that follows having a weapon: “The possession or use of any firearm or explosive device shall require that proceedings for suspension, with the possibility of expulsion of the student involved” (Board Policy 5370).
According to the NCHS press statement issued later that day, “A Safe2Tell report was received that identified a suspicious person on the campus of Natrona County High School. As soon as these reports are received by District officials and law enforcement, immediate actions are taken to secure the school environment. That is our priority.”
Afterwards, NC went into “shelter in place,” a lock down procedure where no one can leave the room they are in at the time the procedure starts. Law enforcement went through the building to ensure that there was no threat. Many students were scared of the police who entered rooms with guns drawn, barking commands when a student did not comply with what was asked. When asked if she thought the police acted appropriately, Alayna Stone, a sophomore at NC, said, “From what I’ve heard from friends, I think not. A friend told me that they did point a gun at her face and told her to put her book down.” Assistant Principal Dresang said, “I think the police acted appropriately. It was a very tense situation and those types of events don’t happen often, so when they do there is going to be a lot of people scared and feeling as if ‘that reaction was over the top.’ We had reports of someone with a gun on campus, so the police need to respond to not only keep students safe, but to keep themselves safe as well.”
The spreading of partially true rumors did nothing to help the situation. Tweets like “there are teenagers with guns” were technically true, since ROTC was drilling with guns. Students’ communications over texting and snapchat caused widespread confusion and anxiety. It got so bad that Principal Harris eventually came onto the intercom to tell students to put away their phones.
All student discipline is confidential; however, if the district follows it’s own rules then the student who falsely reported on Safe2Tell should have a consequence that follows having a weapon: “The possession or use of any firearm or explosive device shall require that proceedings for suspension, with the possibility of expulsion of the student involved” (Board Policy 5370).
If there is one thing that students learned from this it is that spreading rumors only worsens the situation, adding to the chaos. The safest thing to do in the event of a possibly dangerous situation is to leave the digital world and, instead, tune into the real one.
The west side of NC High School is empty as it would have been during the Lockout. NCHS is the oldest high school in Casper. Having been built with the best technology of the day, steam and manpower, and recently finished renovations, this building will stand for many years to come.