Vista del Lago High School went into lockdown on Monday, March 4, after a warning from the Folsom Police Department that there was a threat to the school.  

Lori Emmington, the principal of Vista, made an announcement over the loudspeaker that it was not an emergency and it was only a shelter-in-place, leading many people to believe that this was just a practice drill.  

“I thought it was a drill,” said Daniel Granger, a freshman at Vista.  After about five minutes in shelter-in-place, Emmington announced that the school was asked by the police department to go into full lockdown.  At this point, many people realized that this was not a drill and was instead a real lockdown.

Miranda Ayad, a biology teacher at Vista, reflects that she was “nervous,” and that this was the first lockdown for many of the students in her class, causing them to be scared.  

About an hour later, the school announced that it was no longer under lockdown, and many of the students were relieved. After the Parkland shooting in Florida, most were reassured that there were no casualties.

Vista was not the only school threatened in the Sacramento area. There were also threats made to River City High School and Elk Grove High School soon after the Parkland shooting.  However, these proved not to be actual threats when the police announced that the threat was not real. “I knew it was fake,” said Carson Powell, a freshman at Elk Grove High School.

Still, gun violence is a constant threat on campuses these days. Vista, along with Elk Grove and many other schools in the country, had special “walkouts” scheduled in protest the many deaths at the Parkland shooting. Vista even modified its bell schedule to include time for the 17 minute national walkout on Wednesday, March 14. The 17 minutes represented the 17 lives taken in the Parkland shooting. “Changes need to be made after what has happened in Florida,” said Granger.

“It’s really really awesome that Vista has provided a space for the students to walk out.  I am very pleased that they are changing the schedule,” said Ayad.

There are side effects from watching even distant schools suffering school shootings.  “Social media has enabled violent stories and graphic images to be watched by the public in unedited horrific detail. Watching these events and feeling the anguish of those directly experiencing them may impact on our daily lives,” according to a study by ScienceDaily.  Although the students at Vista have not currently witnessed a school shooting, they will always be vigilant and on the alert for any shootings in the future.