The Watchdog

November 2005 Vol. 16 No. 2 C.D. Hylton High School Woodbridge, Va

Schools on lock down

By Heather Gioia
News Editor

Both Hylton High School and Saunders Middle School were ordered into a “shelter in place” Thursday, November 3. Students began to jump to conclusions about why, as the precaution was necessary, despite Principle Carolyn Custards urges not to be concerned.

Students soon began telling stories about what they believed had happened. Include among the stories were such lies as; a man ran a stop sign, there was someone in the school with a gun, there was a man walking down Spriggs Road with a gun, and many others.

While these myths were being spread as explanations for a simple “shelter in place” that did not even last the whole period, students in Jacksboro, Tennessee actually had something to worry about.

A high school student shot and wounded his principal and another administrator, and killed his vice principal at his high school, November 8, 2005.

According to the Tennessee Education Department the administrator and principal were wounded while trying to stop the young man.

Police statements show that the school went into an immediate lock down after the shootings occurred, between 2:30 and 3:00 pm. They also show that two of the victims were airlifted to local hospitals in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Eight months earlier Jeff Weise, a 16-year old, killed a teacher security guard, five students, his grandfather, and assistant, and before taking his own life in Red Lake, Minnesota.

Elementary school students at Arrowhead Elementary School also faced a scary situation as their school was forced into a lock down, Monday, November 7, 2005.

According to the Prince Georges County Police reports, a man attempted to enter the school building through a locked door. When he was confronted by an officer making his daily rounds, he ran for the woods. Police looked for the man, but he was never found.

All of the students were taken into the gymnasium, which has no windows, and held there for several hours. Students and relatives both stated that the event was “very scary” and “scared [them] to death.”

Yet with all the day’s events students were dismissed on time, at 3:20 pm.

With dangerous events such as these really happening, there is no reason for students to start rumors. Hylton’s students should do as Principle Custard asked, and not create stories about what might have happened while Hylton and Saunders were in a “shelter in place”, last thing we want is for a triadic even the does require a serious “shelter in place” or lock down to take place here at Hylton High School.