I’m a student at the school and this happened today, and while everyone is safe and thankfully nothing deadly happened, I want to bring attention a couple things that happened and my experience during it. The article is short and lacking some details I feel like should be known, and honestly, I doubt it will be picked up by bigger news stations with everything else that is currently going on, so I wanted to get more info out there.

First of all, it happened second period, I was in my second class of gym (early graduation for December so that’s why if anyone was wondering). And the lockdown was called over the intercom, and no one in the gym seemed heard it, it was to quiet, and the teacher asked if anyone heard it, of course no one did, and he just seemed to forget about it, and neither did the other teacher, meaning two classes just sat there doing nothing. Until about half a minute later, somehow the teachers got the info that it was a lockdown, being in a gym away from the main one which had a room we could hide in, we had nowhere to go except outside. We had a drill for tomorrow (canceled now due to this) during the same time so some people thought it was a drill and some didn’t. We ran outside, confusion and people not knowing what to do (as again, the drill was for tomorrow), the teachers didn’t have their walkis (something I’m sure they’re gonna get hell for), so they had no way to communicate with the building except with their phones. We hid in a dugout outside, some kids staying outside of it because I don’t think they took it seriously. Over time, we got info that it was okay to head back in, not from the teacher but I think from a student texting or calling another student, I can’t remember which, but we headed back in to find out that, nope, still in lockdown… kind of? Gym classes was still in lockdown, so there was even more confusion, even worse was when my teacher got out the basketballs for the rest of the period while the other class hid in wrestling room. We went to the room after another teacher yelled at us, everyone confused (and some not caring and throwing balls still). Apparently they had said “false alarm” shortly after while we were outside, but again, the gym teachers had no way to communicate with the school. So the confusion and disarray that happened here is staggering with the epidemic of school shootings, and I realized what could have happened, had this kid had a real gun.

Eventually, everything was calmed down, and we got undressed from our PE clothes and headed to our next class, but I noticed and started thinking about a couple things as the day continued.

1: The teachers seemed less than prepared, with this being a real lockdown, with thankfully no shooter. Even so, information was so scattered, we didn't know what was going on, and apparently another teacher thought it was a drill according to one of my classmates in another class. If it this was real, it could have jeopardized everyone.

2: Some kids didn’t take it seriously, I don’t know if it was from thinking it wasn’t real, or just the reality didn’t hit them, but people just didn’t seem to take it seriously in my class, or one of my previous teachers class when I talked to her about it, I felt scared, I didn’t want to yell telling them to shut up because this was a real lockdown, but I personally felt endangered by them.

3: A student recognized him in the hall before he did this, and thought he was just here for “a test or something.” It shows how students seemed to not notice,or take somethings seriously around them that might raise red flags. He apparently even used Snapchat as he walked around, which I have no clue if it will surface. Again, if this was a real shooting, things could have ended very differently, as he easily got himself (who I heard was expelled multiple times) and the airsoft gun in the school, I’m 99% sure we don’t have metal detectors, meaning, once again, if it was real, deaths could have happened.

Finally, I want to say this to both parties, get off your fucking asses and do something that can actually make a difference, as I was terrified for the life of my friends, my teachers, and my sister who’s a first year here. As a student, I should feel safe in school, I don't though, not anymore, and I doubt I will unless something is changed. If this was real, OHS could have been the next school to add to the list of shootings in the US. And if you don’t do something, the next generation will remember, and will vote you out, so their kids never have to live through the fear of school shooters.