Mar. 26 began as a typical school day; students walked throughout the PPCHS campus towards their next period. However, as the Jaguars made their way towards their third period, a muffled alarm sounded, and students sprinted off campus, shouting about a shooter. What was happening? Students’ fight-or-flight responses set in, and they ran away, one thought in mind only: survive.

Contrary to the rumors spread about a shooter on campus, students in the lunch area had pulled the fire alarm as a “joke” during passing period. Instead of laughing, people started fleeing the school. As students were walking to class and heard the fire alarm, their first thought was that it was a lockdown. Many started to run and leave the school to escape, while others had no clue what was happening and fled when told that a lockdown had been initiated. 

Though PPCHS practices fire and lockdown drills monthly, students ignored the proper safety procedures. Subsequently, students piled at exit gates, and many were trampled as they tried to escape the perceived danger. Some left with injuries, broken devices, and lost personal items. Here is a look into the personal opinions, thought processes, and comments from student journalists in The CHAT.

“As a school, our number one priority is the safety of our students. It was a very concerning incident that I felt like could have been avoided on a number of levels. Unfortunately, some students took that as an opportunity to scare other students or even misinterpreted it as the lockdown alarm. The two alarms are completely different, as the fire alarm only sounds in the building it was pulled in, while the lockdown is a school-wide broadcast announcement followed by an alarm.”

“I hope that our students and teachers learned from this experience that if you do not hear the broadcast all over the campus, it is not a lockdown. This was a fire alarm, so we could have easily and calmly walked outside the buildings that were being impacted, which is all that should have happened when the fire alarm went off.”

“The student who pulled the alarm most likely thought that was what would happen. Yet, many students took this as an opportunity to scare or mislead other students. These students are just as guilty for causing a school disruption and deserve consequences for their actions.”

If the Charter student body has learned anything from this mistaken alarm, it is to always double-check that something is happening before acting upon it. Instead of panicking, students should assess their surroundings and trust their gut. Never should a student claim that there is an active shooter on campus, especially without concrete evidence of a firearm or gunshots. If students outside of a building believe a lockdown was initiated, they should exit campus, but be careful of other students’ safety. 

Though the perceived lockdown caused concern among students and staff alike, it is a vital opportunity for the PPCHS community to discuss how it can prevent these situations in the future, and the threat that false claims pose to students’ wellbeing and safety.