I was just sitting down in the photography room before class when the announcement came on to go into lockdown. We moved over to the corner of the room and shut off all the lights. For the first 5-10 minutes we were pretty quiet but then there was nothing really going on so we started talking and moving around and then Mr. Jones came on the intercom saying that the teachers were going to receive an email in about 2 minutes. Our teacher never told us what the email said but he made us be quiet again and said that we needed to take this more seriously, that’s when I knew it wasn’t just a drill.

A little bit later Mr. Jones came back on the intercom and was telling us what was going on. About a minute after that is when everybody started getting text messages and phone calls from their parents and friends. At first we were trying to hide our phones but then after awhile we just didn’t care anymore, our teacher said we were going to tie up the phones lines with all the texting going on. I got a text message from my mom saying, “Hey I heard there are a bunch of cops at your school. Anything going on?” I told her that there was a guy that came into the school with a handgun and that the place was surrounded with cops. She wanted to make sure everyone was ok and to keep her informed. Then my dad called me and asked what was going on and if I was alright and to keep him updated. Then I started get text messages from friends from Douglas and Stevens and old friends that I don’t even talk to anymore asking what was going on.

Pretty soon, we started hearing a lot of rumors, like they found a gun on the 2^nd floor, Mr. Vernon got shot, and that there was a shot fired and Grandview Elementary. After sitting there for about an hour and a half we were starting to get bored so we laid down on the floor to get more comfortable and were listening to music and the news and watching movies on peoples iPods. Then at about a quarter to 11 Mr. Jones came back on the intercom and told us that the building was safe and we were going to start evacuating over to the civic center at 11 o’clock.

At 11:17 we heard the bell ring for 2^nd block to be over and about 10 minutes after that we saw the yearbook room light turn on. We were just sitting there watching the window waiting for them to come get us and all of a sudden you could see a guy pointing his gun in the room and shining his flashlight on everybody. That’s when I got scared and knew that it wasn’t just a joke. Then they walked and Mr. Murphy said “Its Mr. Murphy please let me in.” So we all started getting up and the guy in the S.W.A.T. uniform told us to stay there and he started talking about how we were going to line up single file with our hand on the shoulder of the person in front of us and we were going to walk out to the hallway and wait till we were all ready to head over to the civic center.

We had to make sure we were quiet in the halls and when we got outside everybody was loud talking about everything and looking at all the cop cars and seeing all the parents across the street. When we got into the civic center we went in sat in the stands and I kept getting calls from my parents and my sister and I was texting everyone but we didn’t get a lot of good service cause everyone was on their phones. At about 1:20 Mr. Jones came in and told us they found out it was fake. Everybody in the arena started yelling and getting mad but he said the good news was that we got to go home; everybody started cheering but then he said there was bad news: we might have to make up that day and that’s when everybody started getting mad again. He said they would be going back to unlock the school so students get their keys or whatever they needed. He finally let us out of there and our section was the first one out so we were out of there by 1:30.

- Stacy

It wasn’t a special morning, just a regular ole day. First period was over with and I couldn’t wait for the other three periods to be over and done with. I was already in the classroom when all of this was going on. I turn to my left and I see everyone outside the classroom door running for his or her lives. I thought Ms. O’Dell was messing around with them because she was standing in the doorway exclaiming to “hurry up,” with a big ole smile on her face. I had no idea that we were in a lockdown because I was too busy chit-chatting with others in the classroom. I saw Mr. Sheehy shut the door very quickly. He takes his keys out of his pocket and locks the door. Immediately after that, the lights shut off. He walks to the front of the classroom quietly, and tells everyone in a whisper tone, to quiet down. He said that we were in a lockdown, and there was a possible gunman in the school. I was confident that if I had to pick any other classroom, this would be it. So just because of that and Jesus Christ, I had no fear what so ever during this whole situation. No knots, butterflies or Goosebumps.

Another thing that calmed us down a lot was we being able to use our cell phones, watch T.V. (no sound at all until the news showed us), and listen to the radio through headphones. When you are in a dark room in a corner with every other student and nothing to do but think, that scares a lot of people. When you have things to occupy you, this stuff gets taken off your mind, you breeze through it with no fear. We got moved to the civic center and had the story repeated to us by Mr. Jones. He told us that about 30 min. ago the student had admitted to the story being false. Sad but true, and actually it is kind of good it was false, you know what I mean?

- Kitric

When I first heard that there was a lockout I was not sure that it was for real, I mean I thought it was just a drill or something, so I just hurried to my class. When I got to class my teacher said that if it was a drill they would not do it during passing time. So then I got a little nervous, but still not scared…then about 30mins later Mr. Jones said that there is a man in the school with a hand gun…that is when I got very nervous. I thought *&%$ this is for real.

He said to just stay calm, my class did for a while and about 2 hours in we all started to relax and watch TV. I can remember when the cops finally came to our class they came in and told us to line up and grab each others shoulder, the thing that made me scared was that he had very big guns – I mean like one guy had like a AK47 and a shotgun. I think that is when everyone really understood the situation.

- Sal

During the lockdown there was a lot of waiting…..and sitting…..and more waiting. When Mr. Jones said that there was someone spotted in the Central parking lot, people started to freak out. And I got bored…..really bored. So I though I should get out my iPod and start rocking out. So me Sal and Luke where watching South Park on my iPod. IT WAS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Then Mr. Jones said we would be evacuating the school room by room. About three hours later they came to get us. I didn’t really think that there was guy with a gun in the building but then I found out that this was serious. When I saw the SWAT member standing outside of our door I had mixed thoughts. SWAT and police were everywhere! Shotguns, AMG’s, and a sniper rifle! It was cool….. but kind of scary.

Then when we found out it was some kid that lied about it….. it made me so mad. But its scarier now then it was when it was happening. Now it seems surreal.

- Caleb

April 17, 2007 I went to school feeling not good and that something bad was going to happed. During 2ed block, my English class, Mr. Jones told us that it was a lockdown because someone had seen a man with a handgun in the school. How I felt about the lockdown was scared for my life and I was mad at the end. I thought that we were all going to die. I never thought that something like this can happen to my school in a small town. I was scared that the gun man would come throw the door and shoot all of us and we would be all killed.

During the lockdown it was a mess; I got really mad at some people that I didn’t like but I had to hold back. I was trying to make myself think about everyone that I loved in my life, even my boyfriend, and I thought of a happy place. I was texting my mom telling her what had happed and that I was ok, I was also texting my brother Anthony that is in 12^th grade where we would be meeting after if we were going to get out of here. I really felt like we were going to be getting shot after we leave the room but then again I thought that it might be all a joke on the school – I was not sure though.

An hour has passed and I was getting really scared for every one around me but at the same time I was not scared – I was half and half. I was really getting mad at one of the girls in my English class that was saying things that were not right and not true. I really wanted to slap her but I thought if I did that then I would be into trouble. I started talking to a guy in my class. We just sat and talked through the whole time pretty much. I was getting really hungry so I went through my purse and found some candy and started eating it.

After another hour had passed I had to go to the bathroom so I had to wait until we get out of there. I wanted to get out of that room so I can see my friends and my love ones. So after sitting in there for 3 hours it was getting boring. We heard sounds coming from the outside of the room and the first thought that went throw my mind was “can that be the gun man?” but it was a cop telling us that they are there way to get us out. Another hour had passed and it was really boring in there so I started texting my boyfriend to see if he was ok and all right because I heard that all the schools are in a lockdown right after us. Before I knew it some person was telling us to open the door for the cops so we did and they told us that we had to put our hands on the person’s shoulders in front of us.

When they were getting the other kids out of their rooms we had to stand there with our hands still on the person’s shoulders in front of us. So when they got the other rooms, we left to go down stairs and go outside and cross the street to the civic center. So we all went in there and sat there for a few minutes before Mr. Jones got on the microphone and told us what had happed and he also told us that it was all a hoax. I thought right then and there that this guy is going to be getting into a lot of trouble with the cops and the school; also I thought that it was stupid for him telling them that some one was here with a handgun and started crying. I hope that kid gets into a lot of trouble for putting our lives in danger. I am glad that it was not real because then someone would have been shot and killed. I am happy that we got out safe and that we were never in real harm. But some day it will happed to a school in Rapid like it did at Virginia Tech but I hope not though. I was really ticked off after what had just happed but then again I was glad that it was fake and not real.

- Tonia

It seemed more like a dream more then any thing and I though that I would just wake up and it would all be back to the way things always are. As me and my friend were sitting there in the dark texting our friends and family it finally hit me that it was really happening that some thing was not right. I remember having one of my best friends text me asking me, “are you ok and r u hurt.” That right there really made things seem more real.

The only thing we could do really was sit there and listen to music or text on our phones. Hearing how scared every one was by the text. There was one I got from my boyfriend telling me that he was so scared that he left his class down in his town and came up to Rapid City. That made me want to cry because, I knew this was bigger than what I could have ever dreamed it would have been. Getting texted from my boyfriend telling me what was going on outside and all the cops that were there, it’s something that you just can’t forget. There is nothing that you can comepare it to.

When the cop finally came to our room and it was is time to go was kind of scary but then you new that you would be ok. Seeing the guns and all the guys and how we couldn’t walk on the one side of the hall. It really is some thing you don’t want you have to see. I know that its some thing I will always remember. There is nothing like it. Knowing that some thing is not right and you don’t know what it is and you just have to sit there and try not to think about it. That long wait seemed like it went on forever, sitting there thinking about your family and the shooting the day before. You just have to real keep calm and think of the good and are happy that nothing did happen.

- Bailey

I heard that people needed to use the bathroom really bad, that they couldn’t see anything because the lights were off, and that they couldn’t talk.  I, however, was in probably the best place you could have been.  I was in the gym.

We were put into the locker room.  The only bad thing was the smell.  But we had almost everything we could need.  We had bathrooms, water fountains, and they were even selling Gatorade.  Since there was a whole gym between us and the locked door, we did not need to turn the lights off or be quiet.  We had to keep it down a little bit, mind you, but we could still talk.

I also heard that some teachers didn’t let their students use their cell phones, not even for texting.  We had full access to ours.  But it was used for uncomfortable, serious talks with our parents.

To top all of this off, we were the first to be dismissed to the Civic Center.  But this whole ordeal was still perhaps one of the weirdest combination of excitement and boredom I have ever experienced.  I can’t help but feel bad for the other students whom didn’t have our luxuries and I have a new respect for all of them.

- Zach

Two juniors interviewed a security guard, asking about his evaluation of the day’s events.
Interviewed by Tyler

Yesterday when we went into lockdown I was actually in the girl’s locker room getting ready for gym. I was already dressed so I was just hanging out waiting for the lockdown to end so I could go lift some weights. I really didn’t want to come to that red day because I have all my worst classes: AP Physics, Gym, and German 3 are definitely not at the top of my lists.

During our waiting period we talked about the upcoming prom, our weekend, fake baking, and work to name a few. We started getting nervous and then Mr. Jones came on the intercom out of breath.

“Oh god,” I thought. “This isn’t going to be good news after an hour of waiting.”

He told us it wasn’t a drill and that there was a man sighted with a gun. I wasn’t really worried because all the doors were locked and we were in the safest place of the school.

Around 11:10 a guy in a SWAT uniform came into our locker room telling us to line up. We had to write down all our names and our grades and if we had a car or not. I have to admit I was getting a little scared because it didn’t really hit me that it was totally real until the guy with the 3 foot long gun and a uniform on came and told us to make our way to the civic center. We were the first people out of the whole school. I remember looking down the corridor seeing how dead silent and completely abandoned it was. It gave me the creeps. The whole trail of girls coming out of the school was on the news as were a lot of rumors. I had no idea what was going on there was too much flow of information to sort out the truth from the false info.

Then the real waiting came. We didn’t get out of the civic center till everyone was in there, which wasn’t until about 2ish. I never really though this would happen to us. I didn’t have my phone on me so I borrowed my friend’s to call my sister. She was worried about me of course but seriously by this time it was getting ridiculous. Then the real news came; it was totally bogus! This was good that our school could be so efficient and effective in a time like this. But how can a 15-year old kid be so STUPID? anyways Kudos Central…

~Punchdrunklove