Johnston County parents upset with lack of communication after lockdown
WILL SHOW UP THIS WEEKEND.
>> RIGHT NOW, IT'S 6 O'CLOCK.
IT'S THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
AND FAMILY FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL
AND FAMILIES IN OUR AREA
ALREADY DEALING WITH LOCKDOWNS.
SOME FOR A SECOND DAY IN A ROW.
JUST ONE DAY AFTER A TRAGIC
SCHOOL SHOOTING IN MINNEAPOLIS
TODAY, 3 SCHOOLS IN JOHNSTON
COUNTY WENT ON LOCKDOWN AND
HOURS LATER, 3 SCHOOLS IN WAKE
COUNTY DID THE SAME THING.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
I'M GERALD OWENS AND I'M ASHLEY
WROTE TODAY'S LOCKDOWN AT
SMITHFIELD SELMA HIGH SCHOOL
WAS THE SECOND SINCE YESTERDAY
FRIGHTENED STUDENTS SENDING
TEXTS LIKE THIS TO THEIR
PARENTS. THIS ONE SAYING.
>> NOT SURE. WHATS GOING ON.
COPS JUST CAME IN CLASS AND
SAID NOBODY CAN LEAVE WRAL.
SHAUN GALLAGHER JOINS US NOW
LIVE IN JOHNSTON COUNTY.
SEAN PARENTS TELL YOU THEY WANT
MORE COMMUNICATION FROM SCHOOL
LEADERS, NOT JUST THEIR KIDS.
YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT, ASHLEIGH.
AND REALLY, IT'S THE TIMING OF
ALL THIS BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENED
HERE
>> WAS RATHER HARMLESS. NO
STUDENTS WERE INJURED OR
AFFECTED REALLY IN DANGER AT
ALL. BUT NOW IT HAS PARENTS
QUESTIONING THE TRANSPARENCY OF
THE DISTRICT.
>> A TRAFFIC STOP IN
SMITHFIELD, BUT POLICE TO TAKE
PRECAUTION THURSDAY MORNING HAS
HEARD ON BROADCASTIFY RADIO
TRAFFIC CONTACT. THE NEWS
CHARTER SCHOOL.
>> AND THE HIGH SCHOOL ROB
WOODALL LOCKDOWN. WE LOOK AT
THIS FIRST PLACE.
>> AS THEY SEARCHED FOR A MAN
WHO RAN FROM THEM ONLY ABOUT
A QUARTER MILE AWAY FROM
SMITHFIELD, SOME HIGH SCHOOL, A
PERSON THEY BELIEVE WAS
UNARMED. NONETHELESS, THEY
ORDERED A LOCKDOWN OUT OF AN
ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION, A
LOCKDOWN FOR THE SECOND DAY IN
A ROW. AS OF NOW, IT'S BEEN
5 HOURS. STILL NOTHING. SEAN
PASCO AND SAYS HE HASN'T HEARD
ANYTHING FROM THE DISTRICT
ABOUT THE INCIDENT TODAY ONLY
FROM HIS SON WAS HAVING AN
EVENTFUL START TO HIS SENIOR
YEAR AT SMITHFIELD SELMA HIGH
SCHOOL YESTERDAY. HE WAS
STRESSED OUT LAST NIGHT
STRESSED FROM THIS A LOCKDOWN
WEDNESDAY PROMPTED AFTER A
STUDENT ALLEGEDLY BROUGHT A
BB GUN TO SCHOOL AND JUST HOURS
LATER, NATIONAL HEADLINES OF
TRAGEDY IN MINNESOTA WHICH MADE
WHAT HAPPENED THIS MORNING.
EVEN MORE TERRIFYING FOR BEST
COHN AND HIS FIANCE. CHRISTINA,
I GET A TEXT FROM MY SON ABOUT
09:00AM SAYING THAT THE POLICE
JUST KNOCK ON ALL THE
CLASSROOMS AND THEY'RE YELLING
THAT THEY CAN'T LEAVE THE
SCHOOL, THE TRAUMA JUST FROM
THAT ALONE. AND THEN THIS
MORNING TO WAKE UP TO IT.
>> THEIR MINDS IMMEDIATELY
GOING TO THE IMMEDIATELY
THINKING, OKAY, IT'S A LOCKDOWN
AGAIN. IF YOU COULD COME BACK.
JOHNSON COUNTY SCHOOLS TO CLIMB
TO AN INTERVIEW TODAY SINCE
TODAY'S INCIDENT DID NOT
DIRECTLY INVOLVED THE SCHOOL
WHERE STAFF I MEAN, DO YOU FEEL
LIKE YOU'RE IN THE DARK 100%?
SO THESE PARENTS ARE FED UP
WITH GETTING INFORMATION FROM
CHILDREN INSTEAD OF THE ADULTS.
AND YOU WOULD THINK THEY WOULD
REALIZE AFTER WHAT HAPPENED
YESTERDAY. THE PARENTS ARE
ALREADY ON EDGE TODAY.
>> SO WHEN THE DISTRICT
DECLINED AN INTERVIEW, I ASKED
FOR A STATEMENT TRYING TO
ANSWER THE QUESTION ABOUT WHY
THEY DID NOT REACH OUT TO
PARENTS ABOUT THIS INCIDENT,
BUT THEY DID NOT GET BACK TO
THE BASKET ON TELLS ME THE
DISTRICT IS HOLDING A BOARD
MEETING IN SEPTEMBER THAT HE
PLANS TO GO TO AND THANKS.
A LOT OF PARENTS WILL BE THERE
AS WELL TO SHARE THEIR FEELINGS
ABOUT TRYING TO BE MORE IN THE