With the Las Vegas shooting and others that have come before it, many people have been uneasy about guns in general. These tragic events make you reflect on life and how precious everyday really is. When Whitney Young had its own shooter scare on October 12th many were terrified that they would be the next headline on the news. Nothing can prepare you for hearing “take cover” over the loudspeakers. This scare took place on a Third Thursday right after the teachers got out of the teacher meeting.

Personally, I was at Whitney Young Poms practice. We were about to start warm ups when I heard over the loudspeaker Dr. Kenner’s frantic voice. I couldn’t make out what was said but I knew it was important. When we were finally able to turn down the music enough to hear her voice, the only part of the message that was gathered was “stay away from windows, take cover, hide in a classroom.” At this point everyone on Poms and in the hallways started sprinting. I didn’t know where I was heading; all I could think was I had to get away.

At this point we didn’t know what the threat was, but with school shootings popping up around the country that’s the first thing that popped into my mind. We all ran into the room behind the tech lab. It seemed like a safe hiding space but I could feel the girls communally shaking. Not knowing that the threat was outside and not in the building we weren’t sure if we should fear for our lives. We all squeezed the hands of the girls that were the most shook and whispered small comforts. Some were praying while others were trying to contact love ones. Even though this was not a real shooting, in the moment it seemed like it could have been life or death.

A good amount of time later, we again heard Dr. Kenner say that there was an update that there might be a shooter near the Police Academy next door. We felt a little safer but then our attention turned to our friends coming back to school for practice. We frantically texted them all to stay away from school and to not come near. The threat seemed less real but looking at people’s eyes showed nothing but terror. We weren’t in there for much longer and when the “all clear” came through the speaker you could hear

 some tension being dropped. We came out of that room more connected in a way.

It might sound silly to some but that was a traumatic experience for many in the school. You could feel the love as friends hugged their friends tight and teachers were trying to console the people the event took the most out of. You never realize how scary these occurrences are until you’re caught in the middle of one, fake or otherwise.