“Students and faculty, at this time the building has been moved to safety threat level ‘red.’ The building is at safety threat level ‘red,’” said Principal Leigh Colburn over the intercom.
With that announcement over the intercom, John Shroer’s advisement class got moving. As Shroer locked the door, students helped him barricade it with a filing cabinet and a table. Then all 18 students crowded up against a wall where they couldn’t be seen from the door. And they waited.
This is what they would do if someone went on a shooting rampage inside Marietta High School.
“What if this were to really happen? I mean, what if someone were really shooting up the school? That would be really scary,” she mused.
Afterwards, sophomore Caitlin Sellers said she was thinking some pretty dark thoughts as she huddled silently with other students against the wall.
But teacher John Schroer said being ready beats being panicked if that terrible day should ever come to pass.
“I’m really happy that we’re doing it,” he said, referring to the Code Red drill, “’cause we’ll know what to do when it really happens.”
Marietta Police Officer David Baldwin admitted that some parents might find the drill disturbing. But, he said, it is nothing more than a sign of the times.
“And we are going to take every step necessary to ensure that our kids and our teachers and administrators are as safe as possible,” Baldwin said.