Someone threatened to shoot up my son's high school tomorrow.

[rbrnmw]

Last edited Tue Oct 27, 2015, 03:43 PM - Edit history (1)

My son just got home of course they will have extra security and every student searched, but should I keep him home or send him? He wants to go. I understand he thinks he will be fine and I do too but, there is a parking lot he has to park in that's what I worry about.

[chillfactor]

1. be safe...

keep him home.

[rbrnmw]

3. He wants to go but I want to keep him home

[yeoman6987]

7. You are in charge, he isn't!

[rbrnmw]

8. That's what I told him

He's 17 but he has a few months to go before he's the boss

[yeoman6987]

11. I know. My nephew is 17. Will be 18 in March

Thinks he knows all. Sometimes my sister will relent on somethings but this is too much. What if it real and he is casualty. You never forgive yourself. If he needs to hate you for a time, Big deal!

[rbrnmw]

13. H we has until the 4th of July

[yeoman6987]

16. Lucky he will have graduated

My sister has from March to June with him still a senior but an adult. Should be interesting. Good luck on your decision and all from here forward.

[Warpy]

9. Does he know the person who made the threat?

Does he think it's a credible threat? He might be working on knowledge of the situation you don't have, so talk to him about this.

[rbrnmw]

10. No the school called us

Literally right before he walked in the door

[Warpy]

15. You still need to talk this over with him

Teenagers really, really hate being babied.

Plus, the schools are paranoid these days.

[bkkyosemite]

2. I would keep him home

[RKP5637]

4. I would keep him at home. There are so many crazies anymore it's hard to tell what might happen.

Hopefully, it was just a crank false alarm.

[bigwillq]

5. Send him

Can't keep him home every day or not go to a movie theater or not go on a plane or train or bus because of the fear that an attack may occur.

[GummyBearz]

14. Agreed

I thought that was how we decided "the terrorists won" ... if we change our daily lives due to a threat

[markpkessinger]

46. Staying away from movie theaters because someone once carried out a mass shooting in one . . .

. . . is ridiculous. But this situation is really rather different. This is about avoiding a venue on the date for which a specific threat has been made, on the specific date on which that threat was promised to be carried out.

[yeoman6987]

6. No question - keep him home

It may be a hoax but if it is who cares. One day off from school can be made up later.

[Snobblevitch]

12. Who made the threat?

Was it a student at the school? In wha form was he threat made? So far, your post raises more questions than answers.

Does tye school have lockdown procedures? Is there a cop at the school? What are the school's plans for tomorrow?

[rbrnmw]

18. We were just told a threat was made not the how or reason

Yes there will be officers there and yes it is already locked down during the day. There is still a parking lot for students who drive and for drop off and pick up.

[Snobblevitch]

20. If it were me, I'm send him to school.

[Nye Bevan]

17. No question- send him.

If it was a credible threat they would close the school. Don't teach him to be afraid of things that have an infinitesimal possibility of happening.

[rbrnmw]

19. I understand but the mother in me says he can miss one day

I am torn between not giving in and this being real and losing my child.

[GummyBearz]

22. So where do you draw your line?

1 missed day is ok, what about 2, 3, 10, 20 days? If your line is 10 days, so the 11th you send him and the threat was real, does that mean the first day he should have been sent and missed the next 10 days?

I don't have kids, so this is all just hypothetical to me, but I am curious to your answer

[rbrnmw]

26. My husband said the same thing just now

[Nye Bevan]

23. By that logic I would never allow my teen son to drive himself anywhere.

The risk of him dying or being severely injured in a car accident is many orders of magnitude higher than him being hurt in a school shooting. Just try to accept that life is full of risks.

[rbrnmw]

27. I know that's true

He will probably go my husband said he isn't a baby anymore.

[demmiblue]

32. What does "he isn't a baby anymore" have to do with being shot to death?

These types of threats are usually made by maladjusted teens who are crying out for help and/or recognition. They have no intention of carrying through with their threats. They may even find the culprit by morning.

However, you never know.

[markpkessinger]

45. And yet . . .

. . . the threat was credible enough that school officials felt the need to cover their asses by notifying parents, "just in case."

[FLPanhandle]

21. It's probably the safest day to send him

There will be extra security and everyone alert.

It's the random, no warnings school shootings you have to worry about.

[Nye Bevan]

25. Yes, I don't think there were threats ahead of time for Columbine and Sandy Hook.

I was trying to Google to find out if a threat ahead of time ever resulted in an actual shooting but I could not find a definite answer. There are many, many threats but comparitively few actual shootings.

[FLPanhandle]

30. Our daughter's HS had a threat last year

We sent her and she wanted to go.

Lots of extra security and police presence.

Safest day at that school.

[BlueJazz]

24. I'd make him stay home. I wouldn't want any "If only I had..."

[ProfessorGAC]

28. This^^^

I understand the folks on this thread saying with extra security it may be the safest day there is, but just the outside chance of something happening puts one in a lifetime of regret should security not be good enough.

[rbrnmw]

29. I just made my husband read your comment

[bkkyosemite]

33. These shooters have hundreds of rounds of ammunition

and they can take out a lot of people before the security gets them. Keep him home dad and mom.

[ProfessorGAC]

62. Oh, Now You're Gonna Blame Me!

Ah, that's fine! Just an opinion from some random guy with no skin in the game, i guess.

[Quantess]

31. I would stay the f"""" at home.

Read the textbooks, go over notes once more.

[Waltons_Mtn]

34. Would it be possible

to drop him off? If your worried about the parking lot, just drive him to school yourself. Just my humble suggestion. Please be safe.

[Journeyman]

35. Bubble wrap. Bubble wrap and down blankets should keep him secure and comfortable inside the box. . .

Remember to punch air holes so he can breath.

That should keep him safe.

But now, what to do about Thursday?

[LanternWaste]

41. Undisciplined minds rely on logical fallacies

Undisciplined minds rely on fallacies such as reductio ad absurdum.

But now, what new fallacy will they entreat on Thursday?

[Warren DeMontague]

51. Yeah, let's be nasty about peoples' concerns around this shit.

I mean we only have one of these school shootings every few months or so.

Clearly anyone who expresses any sort of wariness deserves mockery.

[Heeeeers Johnny]

36. Tough call.

Staying home would be the wisest, safest option, but if it does turn out to be a hoax/prank, taking that
course of action plays right into the hands of the assholes making the 'threat'.

[NightWatcher]

37. Keep him home and use the opportunity to teach about social media

People think that what they post online has no repercussions. This would be a great example of the trouble that can be caused by either those meaning harm, or people who think they are kidding. Violence is no laughing matter.

Plus the last school shooter posted about it and warned that he was going to do it. I bet a lot of parents wished the heard the warning.

[ileus]

38. Probably the best day for him to go...

all other days their isn't any real "security" at most schools...


Why as a nation we ignore security as schools is beyond me.

[LanternWaste]

39. If he stays home, worst case scenario is he's angry for a few days and misses a day of school

If he stays home, worst case scenario is he's angry for a few days and misses one day of school. If he goes to school, worst case scenario is somewhat more bleak.

Odds are nothing will happen, but no doubt, many parents have thought precisely the same thing resulting in less than optimal outcomes.

[KamaAina]

40. "extra security and every student searched"?

How about "classes canceled"? I know, that's kind of like letting the terrorists win, but sheesh!

[Nye Bevan]

42. If every kid in a school knows that classes will be canceled whenever there is such a threat,

can you see why this might not be a good policy to have?

[rbrnmw]

43. That's what I asked

They feel that it's credible enough to call us why not cancel school? They feel they have taken appropriate measures to ensure student safety.

[mercuryblues]

44. I understand

the dilemma. Have you visited the schools FB page or the local police FB page? They may have more info than your robotic phone call. If you can't find anything call the police dept. yourself. Get all the info you can, then do what I would do - go with your gut instinct.

If you keep him home can you get some time off work to take him out to lunch, or a movie?

[rbrnmw]

49. My husband and I decided to keep him home

My husband and I own a home repair business so I think he won't mind me taking our son out to lunch thanks for he suggestion.

[mercuryblues]

54. You

are welcome. I think he mostly wanted to go to school to see friends. To avoid sitting home and being bored. If he has a friend not going maybe he can have him come over. Rent a DVD and buy a pizza.

[rbrnmw]

56. His girlfriend is coming with us

They are doing their own Senior skip day together.

[KamaAina]

67. My goodness! Talk about job security!

Your profile says you're in Columbia. The recent floods should provide you with plenty of work!

[rbrnmw]

68. No we are currently in Ohio we lived there most of our married life

He might go back for a few months. We haven't decided if we all go together later. He goes down there sometimes and does a job or 2 when things in Ohio are slim now.

[ecstatic]

47. Maybe send him tomorrow to get assignments for Thursday & Fri

Assuming the extra security will be around for one day only.

[cwydro]

48. Very scary.

I don't have kids and could go both ways on this remembering myself as a kid.

But we didn't have shootings in those days.

Hey, best advice? Do what you FEEL is best.

Mother's intuition trumps all. Period.

[Warren DeMontague]

50. If you're worried, keep him home.

It's one day.

[Yo_Mama]

52. If they're going to do it they don't threaten to do it. I would send him.

There will be a ton of security - probably one of the safest days ever to be in that school.

[rbrnmw]

53. Well the shooter in Oregon said he was going to do it before he did

[Snobblevitch]

59. Please be sure to let us know how it goes for your family tomorrow.

I am interested in how your son reacts and what happens at the school. Let us know how it goes at school tomorrow and what reaction your son has when he returns to school on Thursday. If you, your husband, and son have a bonding time tomorrow, that may be better for him than whatever is being taught in his classes tomorrow.

This might be a bit weird to include in this thread, but when I was 12 years old, my parents requested that I be excused from school for a couple of days to go with my parents on a deer hunting trip. My teacher agreed and the principal approved of my spending family time with my parents and older brothers. The same thing happened when I was let out of school for a family trip to Washington D.C. as a ninth grader. (I met two U.S. Supreme Court Justices, V.P. Mondale and former V.P. HHH on that trip.)

[rbrnmw]

60. My Dad did the same thing with my sister and I re the DC trip

We watched it live through WH gates

[Yo_Mama]

61. Was that confirmed? I didn't think so. I guess if you are going to worry he would be better home.

I may be unduly influenced by the series of bomb threats at my high school long ago when I attended.

And there is your mental health to consider.

Good luck. I am so sorry you are having to deal with this. Not what you needed.

[frizzled]

64. It's not clear that actually happened.

People claim all sorts of things online...

[Agnosticsherbet]

55. I wouild keep him home.

Call the school and tell them you expect an arrest in these accusations.

[rbrnmw]

57. Maybe they don't have enough information

I am sure if they did the arrest would have happened.

[Agnosticsherbet]

58. I have children in School. I expect investigations, arrests, and jail time...

Looking across a dead child's body at a parent and saying "We didn't have enough information" is unacceptable.

[frizzled]

63. Can you leave the country and emigrate to, say, Western Europe?

The fact is that school shootings happen without warning as well.

If you can't deal with an appreciable probability that your child will be shot to death at school, or elsewhere, you probably shouldn't stay in the United States. Facing a risk of being murdered is a political fact, that will not change in your lifetime due to the power of the gun lobby.

Look into immigration to somewhere like Germany. You could claim refugee status, although that would not be taken seriously.

[Mosby]

69. FYI - you're not fooling everyone here.

[Nye Bevan]

65. I'm assuming everything was fine? Did you end up sending him? (nt)

[rbrnmw]

66. No he stayed home but nothing happened at school

A lot of kids stayed home. They are dealing with the threat we were told. Not really how they are dealing with it. I assume they aren't saying because the student is a minor.