My name is Ebony Rose Woods and I’m a 19-year-old sophomore at Lane studying English Literature and Dance.
I was getting ready for Ballet when me and my classmates noticed the flashing fire alarm. We were all confused and assumed it was some sort of accident or drill until over the loudspeaker we were told to find the nearest exit and go outside. Puzzled, some Ballet and Contemporary friends and I went outside–where we saw a large multitude of EPD cars rushing up the campus road– and then almost immediately were ushered back in by our dance teacher. The loudspeaker was now saying there was a man in Building 1 reported to have a weapon and if we were inside, to lockdown in a classroom and if we were outside, to leave campus immediately.
My dance teacher calmly ushered the seven of us to the 136 dance studio supply closet where we locked ourselves inside for an hour and twenty minutes. We were sitting amongst the exercise balls and model skeletons, just trying to stay calm and await further instruction. The loudspeaker continued to repeat the same announcement and eventually said there were officers on the scene. Everyone inside the supply closet was texting their family and I had forgotten my phone outside with all of my bags. I borrowed the phone of a close friend and texted my sister and parents, letting them know that I was okay and what was happening.
We didn’t know exactly what was going on, we could only speculate due to the lack of information we had at the time. All we knew was that someone had a weapon, we were hiding, and there were officers all over campus. It was a mixture of talking with one another and telling stories, and tense silence where none of us barely moved a muscle. The scariest part for me was when we heard a loud banging outside and a man’s voice. It was an officer but we all stopped talking, and I could tell my teacher was nervous as well.
No one said a word, and in my fear, I crawled further back into the room and fit myself into a cubby corner between yoga balls. I began thinking of scenarios and what I could do to defend myself and my friends if an armed man entered the room. I imagined with a sickening feeling in my gut how my family would be in so much pain if this was how I died (it was a morbid thought, but I kept seeing all the people who’ve been lost to school shootings swimming behind my eyes.)
I began to think about how common of an occurrence this is in America and imagined myself in the place of so many who’ve lost their lives just waiting inside cupboards and under desks, holding their breath. I’m not religious, but we all joined in prayer, just sending our thoughts and feelings to whoever had the weapon in the hopes they could find some peace. We prayed that the people who were on the scene would make good choices. We didn’t know what was happening, for all we knew, they could be face to face with someone holding a loaded gun.
It made me think of an experience I had in middle school where a man threatened to shoot me on my way to school, it turned out that the same man had threatened my middle school months before. I am so disturbed and sickened by how often this happens in our country. Even though we had no credible threat, it was a surreal and scary experience. I can imagine the trauma that people are dealing with because of this.
Finally, the lockdown had ended and we left the closet. My teacher had to cancel rehearsal that night too–I’m in the dance company–and we all recuperated, just letting everything sink in and letting our nervous systems calm down. My teacher offered to drive four people home and me and a friend got a ride with another classmate. When we left it was snowing and we passed an officer who was carrying the largest gun I’ve seen in person. Buses were coming to take everyone off campus and I opened my phone to the most texts I’d ever received; from family, friends, classmates, and co-workers, all asking if I was okay.
I am just grateful that everyone is okay and there was no credible threat, but that doesn’t mean this isn’t a very common and very real thing. So many people are suffering right now because of this and because of things that have happened in the past. I hope never to experience something like this again and am so appreciative of my community for all the love and support, despite such a scary experience.
I know it’ll feel strange to go back to school for a little, this is still fresh in my mind and body. But I think we all can learn from this as well in how better to support and care for one another in the most terrible and scary of times.
Thank you for hearing my statement,
Ebony R. Woods.
