'I lied.' A teacher describes protecting her students during Apalachee HS shooting

Georgia is required by law to hold active shooter drills. When an active shooter arrived at Apalachee High School this week, that training kicked in for many teachers and students there.

In a gut-wrenching account shared widely on social media, Jennifer Carter, who for more than 20 years has taught Spanish at the school in Winder, Ga., described her horrific experience of putting into motion her preparation for a moment she hoped would never come.

“It was the worst 20 minutes of my career,” she wrote in a post on Facebook late Wednesday night, hours after the attack.

The violent attack left two students and two teachers dead and nine others injured. When the attack began, Carter said she initially told the students it was just a drill in order to keep students calm.

“I lied,” she began the post. “I told them to get behind my couches (thank GOD I ditched desks and have bulky furniture!) and be quiet - the more quiet we are the faster the drill will end. I knew it was a lie. I knew this was what I always plan my furniture arrangement for every year. My kids were able to just hide and not panic for over 10 minutes.”

“They still trusted me and did exactly what I asked"

When it became clear that there was a real threat — “we heard the banging on doors, walkie talkies, and yelling in the hallway” — she said she told her students that it wasn’t a drill.

For all the preparation, Carter said she felt helpless in a situation where she was left to protect her 18 students. All of her students, including her daughter Anna, who was not in the class but is a student at the school, were unharmed.

She said her students, which she emphasized were not just students but “kids,” were “so brave.”

“They still trusted me and did exactly what I asked. And all I could do was ask them to listen to me and to hide. … No idea what’s going on. More yelling, banging on doors. Finally, the door is opening and we’re evacuated to the football field. Cops everywhere. Guns pointed at us as we leave. And still they do exactly what I ask.”

In July 2023, a state law mandating annual active shooting drills went into effect. It requires schools to report their completion of the drill by Oct. 1 each year. According to a February report from PBS, ProPublica and The Texas Tribune, 13 states don’t require frequent active shooting drills in schools.

Carter’s post elicited strong responses online, many from people who held her story up as an example of an all too common threat teachers and students face around the country.

“We simply cannot accept this is a normal part of life. Something has to change,” read a post from Zach Lambert, a pastor, sharing Carter’s words on X.

Landon Benson, who commented on Lambert’s post, said: “Every single teacher feels this. Like a gut punch. I find myself scanning rooftops when I’m outside. I consider 'where will we run from out here in the field? How would I get their attention when they are far from me? How quickly will we all react?' almost daily.” 

Last year, the school named Carter teacher of the year.

Copyright 2024, NPR

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