Parents, students share ‘lessons learned’ after gun scare at White Station High School

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - A big sigh of relief for many parents and students at White Station High School after yesterday’s gun scare.

A 16-year-old White Station High School student is facing charges after allegedly brought a gun on campus for protection.

More than 24 hours later parents and students are reflecting about what to do if that ever happens again.

Just a few students remained on campus Friday for a quiet start to summer break at White Station High School.

“I had to turn in my exam for Japanese. I didn’t get to do it because of the lockdown yesterday,” said White Station Junior Sarah Forrester.

Thursday, Forrester immediately stopped taking that exam and hid in a band room closet with her teacher.

The school was placed on a “soft lockdown” after law enforcement was tipped off about a student bringing a gun to school and reportedly hiding it in a classroom.

Forrester said, “We were all a little nervous.  We didn’t know what was going on, but eventually like we were a bit relieved when we found out there was not an active threat.”

Parents and students, say 24 hours after Thursday’s incident there are some lessons learned, specifically surrounding communication.

Many parents rushed to campus after students texted, warning them of the potential threat.

One father who didn’t want to be identified said he and his daughter had a conversation Thursday evening about what he wants to know immediately.

He says his daughter was telling him a lot of rumors that she was hearing and not facts.

He wanted to know where his daughter was in the building and be specific about what she was seeing and hearing.

Sarah said that’s exactly what she did while texting her mother all while trying to remain calm.

Shelby County Health Director Dr. Michelle Taylor was one of those parents rushing to campus to check on her child.

In a statement, Dr. Taylor said Thursday’s incident at White Station and the tragedy that unfolded in Texas this week brought to the forefront the need for a multidisciplinary public health approach to address gun violence in our society.

Dr. Taylor also said:

“Shelby County Health Department is committed to working to counteract the adverse experiences that lead to gun violence in our community by providing a wide range of prevention and screening services, expanding our reach by convening mental health resources, and enhancing our analysis of gun violence as a public health crisis in our community to ensure that the entire community has the tools to fight and win the battle against gun violence.”

Copyright 2022 WMC. All rights reserved.

Click here to sign up for our newsletter!

Click here to report a spelling or grammar error. Please include the headline.