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Wednesday, January 22, 2014

I Was Frantic...


Another shooting occurred yesterday on an
American campus, it also happened to be the
campus where one of our kids attends school.
I was happily posting yesterday's blog about
soap and travel when I brought up my facebook
page and read a post about a shooting at Purdue.
This was at 12:36pm, I immediately started
calling, texting, messaging on fabebook and I
couldn't reach Kate.  I called Rob, I called my
sister, I put on the local news.  Both of the 
anchors on Channel 12 had kids at Purdue too
and they had already checked in.  We are so 
connected in today's world ~ where was my Kate?


Kate's major is in the School of Science so she
certainly could have a class in the EE building.
Tornado sirens are blasting, texts are flying
all over the place.  And nothing...
Finally, at 12:55 pm Kate messaged me on 
facebook.  She said she was in Potter, the 
building next to EE and in the library on
lockdown with the doors locked.  It had been 
a long 19 minutes.

When I finally spoke to Kate after she was 
released she said she had a 12 o'clock class
in Potter, so she had walked right past the 
EE building next door.  When they got the 
text from Purdue about a shooting the professor
locked the door, they had a guest speaker and
the class went on.  They were released at 1:30pm
and as they left the building they saw LOTS of 
police and homeland security and helicopters
overhead.  They didn't know if the buses were
running so they called a sorority sister to pick
them up ~ they were scared and shaken.
Once home the sorority said they were not 
supposed to leave the house though Purdue
resumed classes.  Finally, Purdue cancelled
all classes for the remainder of the day and the
next day.  
Later, I asked Kate if she had heard the sirens
or shots.  She said they hadn't heard anything 
while inside.  I asked why she didn't call us right
away.  She said the text was Shooting reported 
on campus, EE building, avoid area, shelter in 
place.  They didn't know a person was shot, it 
could have been that shots were heard.  When
they came out of the building, they were shocked
at all that was happening around them.


By later in the day, they were allowed to out.
Kate and her sorority sisters attended the vigil
last night.  
As we breathe a sigh of relief and are so thankful
that our child is safe, we also know there is a family
that is experiencing the worst day of their lives
and our heart goes out to them.


Now a note to Purdue and all other
schools:  Part of your readiness training
needs to be that you instruct all teachers
to have the students contact their families
immediately when something like this 
happens.  It was all over the news and
we had no word from our child.  Almost 
every student has a phone these days and
if they don't, someone would loan them theirs.




4 comments:

  1. I feel with you, that's horrible not to know what had happened to ones child!! These are the minutes or hours you will become "old and gray haired" as we say here.... Thank God everything ended this way!! And I wish you a nice staying at Spain without any further excitements!!!

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  2. Scary and tragic. As illegal firearms are slipping into my part of the world, I can only say bad things about all guns. How many wake-up calls does it take. May your family stay safe.
    best, nadia

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  3. It happened in our High School 4 years ago, so scary what is this world coming too.

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  4. Very scary for you and DD. Glad to hear she is safe.

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