Lockdown at Upper Perk Schools

Pennsburg, along with several other towns in Montgomery county, has been dealing with tragedy the last few days. Six people were killed and one seriously injured in what is being called a shooting spree. The gunman’s name, Bradley Stone, will likely become infamous. Crime isn’t very prominent here, and it was truly a shock to learn something so terrible could happen so close to home. Although we now know the major details of the incident, Monday was a different story. It began as a normal day, but soon turned tense, as all the unknowns of the shooting emerged.

For students at Upper Perkiomen schools it was even more nerve-wracking. No one knew whether or not the shooting was random, if he would strike again, or even target the schools. By around 10:00 a.m. the high school was already on lock-down. The window blinds were shuttered, tables blocked the entrance to the building, and students were not permitted to leave their classrooms. Since Stone was not immediately found, school dismissal at the high school was pushed from its normal time of 2:35 p.m. to 3:40 p.m.

Personally, I think the feeling of not knowing was the most disconcerting. Rumors flew around the school. Some said it was a school shooting, others said there was an armed madman storming the streets. Teachers attempted to quash speculation, but gossip travels at a rapid rate in a high school. Many students, including myself, walk home from school, which only added to the frightening what-ifs. If Stone really was a crazed killer, would he shoot kids walking home from school? I’m unsure if I was the only one, but the trek home was frightening.

That night the news was playing in many Pennsburg households. As the facts surface, we continue to search for answers for the unexplainable.