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A gun on school grounds leads to panic for some high school parents, but the El Dorado school district says there was never a threat to students. We first told you Monday on KWCH El Dorado school officials recovered the gun. But some parents say the school did not not handle the situation the right way. Rebecca McRee is the parent of a senior at El Dorado High School. She says, "I think we have a competent staff at the school. I think maybe just a mistake was made yesterday. When a student comes into school with a gun, he's a gunman. I think a protocol should be followed. Either shelter in place or evacuate."
But Rebecca and Nicole Eagle say their daughters didn't know until they got home and were shocked by the news. Eagle says her daughter told her, "Dear God, that could've been a situation where we should've been hiding in closets or under desks. And of course that stems back to the panic of what the small children just recently had to face."
School administrators tell KWCH the district's plan is to make sure the situation is under control first, then to notify parents. They say "We take the responsibility to provide safe schools seriously. If there are improvements we can make to our protocols, you can be assured we will not hesitate to implement them." Administrators say the gun was taken without incident.
Some parents got a message alerting them of the situation, but Nicole says she never did. She says, "I called multiple times trying to reach my daughter as she was at practice. She wasn't answering the phones. I attempted to call the school phones but they had already kicked over to the automated service for the night. So there was no answer on the phone." Now both moms hope this will serve as a learning experience for the school.
District leaders say the student who brought the gun is no longer in El Dorado schools. They want to commend those who reported the situation. "Our students and staff know that when they see or hear about something that threatens others, they are to report it immediately. We appreciate their diligence in this."
USD 490 Police arrested the teen and turned the case over to the Butler County attorney.