Rochester School Addresses Scary Rumor Of A Gun
Rochester School Addresses Scary Rumor Of A Gun
An unsettling message showed up in several Rochester, Minnesota inboxes today. Unfortunately, I was one of the parents that received the note from Rochester Public Schools regarding a note regarding a gun at Century High School at 2525 Viola Rd NE in Rochester, Minnesota.
I was actually walking into work when the following e-mail showed up in my inbox from Century High School:
Good morning Century parents and caregivers:
We are aware of rumors circulating about an Instagram post by an individual suggesting a plan to bring a gun to school on April 20th. This rumor is based on a post from earlier this school year that was investigated and cleared when it was originally made. At present we have no reason to believe the threat is credible.
The post was reported to Instagram and has been removed. The individual who created the post is no longer a Century student nor residing in Rochester. Part of this rumor states that the person posting was expelled from Century. We can confirm that no student has been expelled from Century this year.
Out of abundance of caution, we are working with Century SRO Tim Condon and other service providers to connect with the individual associated with the post through law enforcement in the community where the person resides.
The safety and security of our students and staff is one of our highest priorities. We appreciate the students, staff and parents who have reached out to us regarding this post. We have been working with District Administration and the Rochester Police Department to address this situation and provide you with accurate information.
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through this issue.
Jacque Peterson
Chief of Schools
Nate Walbruch
Century High School Principal
I Have a Love/Hate Relationship with School Messages
I have a love/hate relationship with these messages. I'm thankful that the school sent a note to inform parents. We had a bit of time when communication wasn't as transparent or fast as parents would have liked and it caused a lot of frustration for families. I hate it though because it makes me sick that my kids live in a world where these are our conversations, and that our kids have to do lockdown drills. I hate that school shootings are a common issue in the United States compared to other countries and the fact that NO ONE is making a change to stop this and protect our kids in a space where they should always be safe.
A school shooting happens, like it did in Nashville recently, and it is in the news for a few days and then it is quiet. As a parent, it is sickening to know that a school shooting could happen and unfortunately, because no real change is taking place in our country, it will happen again.
READ MORE: Amazing Tribute On Display for Well-Loved Teacher at Century High School