'We didn't understand what was happening:' Students tell of tension inside Grand Blanc High School during 'Code Red' lockdown

Blake Thorne | By Blake Thorne | The Flint Journal
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on December 19, 2012 at 5:40 PM, updated December 20, 2012 at 6:00 PM
GRAND BLANC, MI -- Some were crying. Some brushed it off and made jokes. Some were comforting frightened parents via text message. Many were taken home by their parents.

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The mood inside Grand Blanc High School, both its east and west buildings, was tense Wednesday, Dec. 19, amid false reports of shots fired and rumors of a "student revolt," according to students.

The schools started the day on edge, put on alert by untraceable rumors of students planning violence at a local school Friday. Nobody knew where the rumors were coming from, or what school might be involved.

Nobody knew if there was even a threat in the first place. The rumor, many have reported, was that some students planned to bring weapons to schools Friday, Dec. 21, in conjunction with the end of the Mayan calender.

It put the school on what Grand Blanc Superintendent Norm Abdella called "secure in place," and many students referred to as "code yellow." Classroom doors and exterior doors were locked. Students had to stay in classrooms except between the bells.

School officials reached out through the district's website, saying they were working with law enforcement regarding a rumor of a "student revolt" planned for Friday. 

"I looked on the Grand Blanc site, it said 'a student revolt'," said Auntonio Roland, 15. "I'm like, we ain't planning no revolt. Why would we start a revolt when it's about to be winter break?"

Senior Antonio Bush had heard the rumors, but didn't think they amounted to much.

"I didn't pay any attention to it," said Bush, 18. "I just laughed it off."

At 11:13 a.m., a 911 call came in reporting shots fired at the high school. The high school is divided between two buildings, east campus and west campus, with many students having classes in both and walking a path between the two.

The text message that created a 911 call came from the parent of a student at the high school's east campus. Police soon found out that there was a similar text message that went out at the same time from a student in the west campus. Police tracked down that student and said the student also told officers it was a text. Police have not determined if the texts were a coordinated effort by the pair.

Police rushed to the school. Students were put in what police called a Code Red lockdown. Students described going into back rooms, shutting off lights and sitting or laying on the ground. Some students at the east building said the didn't learn anything had happened until later in the day.

"I had my friends from other schools texting me asking what was going on," said Madison Smith, who was in the east building. "I was like, 'I don't know. I'm just sitting in class.'"

Roland's mom texted him Bible verses.

"I told my mom, 'I'm OK. I can handle my own.'"

Sophomore Anthony Tucker's mom sent her son advice.

"My mom texted me, 'if a gunman comes up, act like you're dead,'" said the sophomore.

Senior Josh Esparra was in a computer lab for an online class in the west building when the 911 call went out.

"We had to click off every screen possible that was around us and just lay on the ground," the 18-year-old said.

"All I heard was that somebody texted their mom and that there were shots fired," said Smith, 16.

Esparra laid on his stomach in the dark room. He had no idea what was going on. He heard footsteps in the hallway, pounding at the door. But there was no talking, they all just lay there. Close by, in the dark, a girl began to cry, he said.

"So we were just in the dark for like an hour, not talking," Esparra said.

He worried about if it was real. Until know, he thought all the concern was for nothing. Now here he was, laying on the ground in the dark, wondering what lurked outside.

"I was sitting there thinking, 'if someone comes into this room, where am I going to go?'" he said.

Freshman Katy Howie's class went into a backroom.

"We were scared, we didn't understand what was happening," the 14-year-old said.

Howie didn't learn until after lunch, in fifth hour, that it was all because of a joke text message.

Sitting in the room, wondering what was going on, Howie thought of her best friend.

"She was in the other building and I didn't know what was happening there," Howie said.

About a dozen law enforcement officials from four different agencies arrived at the school.

There were no shots fired, no gun. The student who sent the message said it was a joke, that he didn't know why he sent it.

Frantic text messages and social media postings had taken off, parents began showing up to take pull students from school.

"My mom actually said I can't go to school tomorrow," Smith said.

Some students said they won't come back this week, or will skip Friday. Others aren't letting it stop them.

Bush said he isn't worried about Friday. The gunfire reports were a rumor, and he's pretty sure the threats of violence Friday are a rumor as well.

"I would assume it's either a rumor, or somebody just trying to get a little early Christmas break."
