Scary situation while unarmed

[GOPony]

I went to pick my kids up at after care for summer school. They are typically playing games in the Gym when i get there. No sooner did i get there that something came over their walkie talkies and suddenly teachers went into panic mode shutting and locking the doors. No sooner did it start when apparently the all clear was sounded. i really have no idea what the situation was and apparently it was a non issue/mistake, but you can bet i had tons of ideas rattleing around in my head

So here i am, unarmed with about 20 kids ranging in ages from 7 to 12/13 and two female teachers with simply a locked door with a window and for a while the thought that we were the next columbine. In my mind i was suddenly responsible for the saftey of everyone there. Surprisingly i was calm and felt a strange feeling that i was ok with whatever i needed to do to protect my boys first, then everyone esle . It was almost like i had been prepared for this to occur. You always wonder how you will react, i guess i got a little taste of it

What i really wanted to do was to take my boys and leave the building to get to my car. I felt like we were simply going to some place waiting to be attacked. This whole sitution took about 15 to 20 seconds, but felt much longer. On the drive home i wondered about the hypothetical situations and what i would have done if i had gotten my boys out and to my car and got armed, would i have gone back in. With my two boys outside my obligation is to protect them, but when you are talking about innocent children how do you not protect them as well. On the other hand school on lock down and me going back in with a gun isn't probably best idea either. this is the first situation since carrying that i have ever had the thought of utilizing the weapon if needed AND IT HAPPENS IN A PLACE I CAN NOT CARRY! Obviously the threat did not materize (thankfully) but the situation scared me. There is so little the school does to protect the children, clearly one locked door, with no place to hide inside and simply waiting on the cops in my opinion is not good. I didn't see a cop car until i reached my car after the incident. Had i been allowed to carry into the school and this situation did materialize the kids would have been safer. Maybe i am thinking about it to much, but then again maybe i should think about it even more. This isn't the first time the school went into lockdown there have been several instances this has occured during the normal school year with real threats. I don't think there is an armed officer on duty at school, i know there isn't one during summer school after care.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[rocky]

It may sound callous , but if I am with my kids they get my full attention / protection first and foremost. I am their father and they are responsibility #1 . If someone is in a school shooting , they can very well exit and attack others.
Last thing I am going to do is leave my kids unprotected in a vehicle.

[jerm1109]

+1 what Rocky said.

[JetGirl]

It may sound callous , but if I am with my kids they get my full attention / protection first and foremost..... Last thing I am going to do is leave my kids unprotected in a vehicle.

+1. Definitely.

[houndawg75]

I'm with Rocky on this one. I hate to sound cold, but my one and only priority to to protect my kids. I wouldn't consider leaving my kids in a situation like this unless I knew that they were 100% secure. Locked in a car doesn't fit that definition for me.

[GOPony]

i can't find fault with that logic at all and is probably what i would have done. I just could not imagine having to make that choice. Fortunantly i didn't have to

[BUTCH69]

Me & Sundance are with Rocky!

[SonofASniper]

As much as I am the type of person who will run into the fire...

I have to agree with Rocky on this one. My children are my life, and I WILL NOT leave them unprotected.

I understand your fear while unarmed in the school. This is something that I do appreciate in my state which does not restrict CCW licensee's from schools (unless your employed by the school district, but that is being appealed in a higher court).

[buzzgum]

Last thing I am going to do is leave my kids unprotected in a vehicle.

In addition to that, what if you ended up getting killed or injured? Your life is important to your kids as much as their is to you.

[tngunner]

[quote]"In my mind i was suddenly responsible for the saftey of everyone there."

Imho, that is not a true statement. The only people you're responsible for are your kids and yourself.
You risk your life defending others and all your kids are going to have is a dead hero dad. I am not and never will be a hero, but I will defend my family to my death.
Sorry if this sounds calus or cold but it is my personal feeling.

[TonyB]

You are responsible for you and yours......which brings up another point.....the government has decided that in most cases,as a law abiding citizen w/ a legally obtained ccw permit(where needed)you CANNOT carry a gun into your child's school to protect them.SOOO,does this mean that when and if God forbid ,your kids gets killed,you can sue the gov't??I doubt it....kind of ironic...someone that's intent on breaking the law isn't going to be persuaded to NOT bring a gun,but we as law abiding people are left helpless..
a couple of years ago,a kid brought a shotgun into my step-daughter's school(Columbia HS)and shot a few rounds off at a couple of teachers.One got hit in the leg,while the other wrestled the kid and got the gun away.All I can remeber is the feeling of helpless ness while going to pick her up,un-armed.

[bandit383]

"In my mind i was suddenly responsible for the saftey of everyone there"...with two teachers there (female you said)...why you felt you were in charge (responsible)?

I would take some solace in recognizing that the school apparently acted quickly in a lock down. You just happened to be there...would the end result been any different if you had not? Let say for stamps that a group bent on distruction "broke" into the room with a automatics...could you have saved anyone (this is said a bit tongue and cheek...but the point I am making is we can what if to the nth degree and realize we can not be the savior for every scenario).

Rick

[Thumper]

+1 with the Rockster!

[tns0038]

I don't know about the state your in, but in Florida they do drills for weather threat, fire, and danger/intruder lockdowns.

Sounds to me like you just witnessed one.

[ayce2]

The idiocy of Schools astounds me. Last year a third grader got sent home because he drew a gun on his paper. 2 years ago a 12 year old was overheard, by a teacher, telling another kid that he was going to kill his teacher(my wife). They had a talk with him and didn't get LEO involved till I spoke to the principal. No suspension, but they did search his backpack the next day. Illegal for her to protect herself...