Now I Know

I always wondered what I would do if Patrick's school was in lock down, and there was someone with a gun as has happened recently all over the country. Well now I guess I know. The school was put on lock down today due to someone at the Jr High, located a soccer field (appx 70 yards) away. It was pure panic pandimonium. Parents weren't alerted as to what was going on, or what the plan was. All we knew was what others called and told us, saw on social media or the news and saw in trying to drive the roads one of which being Main St. that they were all closed and nobody knew anything. Many saw police with rifles drawn surrounding the schools. It was very disconcerting to know that the plan on lock down isn't what was followed. We just had a drill about a month ago and they didn't follow the procedure as far as on parents side goes. The kids were fully safe and they followed the procedure that way. We weren't called until half hour after school ended, we didn't have to pick up our kids with ID, nothing was the same as we had "trained". It was very surreal watching the kids from the Jr High being evacuated to the elementary with their hands on their head, being escorted by police while choppers flying around above to get the best shot with video equipment. Kids were crying, parents were very confused, panicing, and crying. Of course Patrick being Patrick as soon as he saw me said "Mom, I thought I was walking home today" I said well yah that was before we knew there was threat of someone walking around the jr high with a gun. He said yah I know we were on lock down, so what.....he hadn't fully grasped what was really going on. Then he saw the kids being evacuated, people crying, and news helicopters and it got real, real quick. I am so grateful Patrick was safe in the school. They were told they were on lock down and told to take cover under the desk, and the school was locked down. I would like to say I'm glad that the way things went down and things went as smooth as possible under the circumstances but hopefully they have learned how things could be done better if God forbid something like this happened again. So grateful no kids were harmed just scared to death.