‘I was scared:’ Parents react to Savannah High School active shooter hoax

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Parents are all hugging their students a little tighter following active shooter hoax calls. One student described what it was like inside the school Wednesday morning.

“They yelled it was a lockdown, and teachers started barricading the room.. You saw the cops sweep through, there was some running and yelling, there was a scream at one point. I don’t know what was going on,” said Hayden Barrett, a sophomore at Savannah High.

Savannah High Sophomore Hayden Barnett says this morning’s lockdown was both frightening and confusing.

“I didn’t know what was going on. It was so quick, something unreal,” said Barrett.

Meanwhile, he was trying his best to keep his parents updated.

“He had texted me earlier this morning, he said mom, we’re all barricaded in our room, we’re having a lockdown. They’re saying there’s an active shooter,” said Amber Schmeidler, Hayden’s mom.

Some anxiety-ridden moments followed.

“He went silent after that. It spooked me. I was scared. Those were the longest moments of my life,” said Schmeidler.

Luckily after learning that Savannah Chatham school officials said they believe the situation to be a hoax, it was a relief but some parents are still uneasy.

“He’s not going back to school tomorrow,” said Schmeidler.

The parking lot across from the school serving as a waiting area for friends and family eager to see their students.

“It’s a huge, huge relief. I can’t even imagine that it would be any different. Just a huge relief that they’re okay,” said Morgan Paddock, who drove her friend to pick up her student.

Relieved but unnerved is the best way to describe the feeling of many parents and students WTOC talked to Wednesday. School was not canceled for the rest of the day and is set to return to normal operations Thursday.

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