Nothing I can do

The school Sarah teaches at is in what they are calling a lockout. Not a labor lockout but a bunch-of-kids-threatening-to-shot-up-the-school lockout. I don’t know anything more then the news stories because the amount of communication with the staff has been minimal.

The scary stuff is that the attack is supposed to come on Thursday. That is what is known. They have arrested 5 total children and release two of those on bonds. Which is great.

What terrifies me, aside from the possibility of Sarah getting shot, is that these kids are 14,15 and 16 years old. That young and contemplating killing a lot of their classmates.

Also the continuity of the plan scares me. They arrested three students for suspicion of the attack and then arrested the next two for suspicion on taking over where their friends left off. What?

Who thinks “My friends got arrested because they were going to shoot up the school, I think I will try the same plan.” Really? I guess if you are a freshmen in high school that logic makes sense.

As a teacher spouse I have always had a nagging feeling in the back of my mind that something like this could happen. But never in my wildest terrified dreams did I imagine it would be this real.

There is a good chance that nothing will happen on Thursday. But there is also a chance that something will. The talk on the news is that it is a “gang” of kids. A GANG OF KIDS!!! Not two kids who are misunderstood or picked on. They have arrested or apprehended 5 kids. WHAT!!!

So instead of spending my days getting excited for Sarah’s summer vacation and getting to see her all the time instead I get to spend my time worrying that she is going to get shot.

The school has already said that kids do not have to do finals if they don’t feel safe at school. But teachers still have to be there. There is no option for them if they don’t feel safe. Why would you continue to have school when kids no longer have to do their finals to get grades.

I know that I don’t have all the facts and most of what I have heard, aside from what is available online, is based on rumors that Sarah has heard. But… those rumors are terrifying. Even if only a tenth of what she has heard comes to pass people are going to die.

If everyone could please keep Sarah and her school in your thoughts I would really appreciate it. Luckily Sarah only has school through Friday so the worrying should be over by then.