Oshkosh North On Lock down

On Thursday November 1, Oshkosh North was put into a hard lockdown, meaning the classroom doors had to be barricaded, teachers had to turn the lights off and everyone had to stay silent.

The lockdown began at 9:26 am and lasted until 10:15 am. When a hard lockdown occurs, it means that there is a threat inside the school or on the property.

According to the official press release, an Oshkosh North student had been displaying erratic behavior at home and had even shot an assault rifle at the home, located in the town of Oshkosh. On Tuesday October 30, the student’s mom came into the school and reported the behaviour to the school officials who advised the parent to call the Sheriff’s department as they cover the township.

On Thursday November 1, when the student arrived at North, the school called the student’s mother to ask if she had called the sheriff. She had not and told the school that there might be a gun missing.

“With the information that was received, we took all the protocol for the safety of everyone in the school,” said Winnebago Sheriff John Matz.

Thus, based on the student’s erratic behavior and subsequent possible missing firearm, the school called for a hard lockdown. The student was seen being dropped off at school but their brother, but was not able to be located at the school.

However, both the local police department and the Oshkosh Area School District stated that at no time were students, staff, or citizens in any danger.

“It has been determined that at no time were the students at Oshkosh North High School in any immediate danger. The Oshkosh Police Department and the Oshkosh Area School District will always make the safety of the students their top priority and will use all resources available to keep the students safe,” said Oshkosh Police Chief Dean Smith.

15 officers and detectives were at Oshkosh North during the time of the lockdown. 5 officers and detectives went to the residence of the student to see if they could locate the student and to see if there was a gun missing from the home.  

In the end, everything ended up safe.

This year, though, the school and law enforcement agencies have begun to take every possible threat seriously.

“All threats to the schools, students, and staff are taken seriously and investigated thoroughly under the direction of the local law enforcement,” said first-year OASD superintendent Vickie Cartwright.

Even if someone jokes about a school attack, whether online, in person, or in writing, the school will investigate.

“In the oasd the safety and security of our children is the top priority,” said Cartwright. “If a threat turns out to be credible at any point in time we will immediately take action to protect our students and staff members.”

Students responded to the lockdown first with fear and later with thoughtful reflection.

Junior Sydney Geffers thought that the school did the right thing.

“I think the school handled the situation really well,” Geffers said.

Others, though, thought the school could have notified the parents sooner.

Junior Bryanna Uttech said, “I feel the school could notify the parents quicker with a, ‘Hey, we are going into a hard lockdown. Your kids are safe, but if you want to take them afterwards, do so.’”

Junior Emmalia Smith agreed.

“I think that they could have handled  a lot better, they said they sent an email to the parents while it happened and they didn’t, like my mom didn’t get an email until 3 hours after it happened. I think they could like informed us better, I literally saw people crying around the hallways,” Smith said.

Cartwright hopes that, besides the emergency planning already in place, students feel safe because they can tell someone at school that they feel comfortable talking to if they or someone they know has an issue.

“We want all district students to understand to understand the importance of telling an adult if there is a concern or a threat of any kind at any time while they are at school,” Cartwright said.

While that might help, Oshkosh North Principal Jacqueline Kiffmeyer believes that, as least for now, we must always be prepared for a possible attack. With all the recent shootings and media coverage, the public expects schools and other institutions to provide safety for everyone involved.

“So I think we live in a society in which this is going to be the new normal: threats, shooting situations at malls, restaurants, movie theaters. So unfortunately, I think it’s going to be the new normal that we are now prepared to respond  to those situations,” Kiffmeyer said.