MISSOULA - A threat of an active shooter at Hellgate sent the high school into lockdown for several hours on Wednesday and led to three girls being taken into custody.
Following a threat of an active shooter that was posted on social media, students at Hellgate High School spent most of their day in lockdown.
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As the kids finally streamed out of the school after the three-hour lockdown, they were willing to talk a bit about their experience.
We asked them how they were feeling following the lockdown.
"Nervous, we were just in math and the sirens started going off.”
“This morning was going pretty good, and then all of a sudden we went to third period and I thought it was going to end. Then all of a sudden, the announcements come on and was like 'we're in lockdown’.”
“I mean it was a little scary. Because it was so random."
"I thought it was a drill at first, but then I got told to just go, sit down, then they turned off all the lights."
"We all sat there in the classroom and watched all the military people arrive and were like oh, shoot, this is serious."
After the long day, they were excited to go home to their families.
"Good. pretty good that it's over and I get to go home."
"It’s been a crazy day. I'm ready to go home and see my parents."
"Just thankful. Just want to go home. Tired."
As the kids came out of the school, we watched parents embrace their children. Happy that such a scary situation ended safely, as we all are.
The Missoula Police Department is still actively investigating this incident and we will keep you updated with any information.
Below is a timeline of Wednesday’s incident.
- At around 10:30 a.m., Hellgate High School locked down with school officials asking families to not to approach the school.
- Around that time, police searched a home looking for someone they believed was involved, but they did not find them.
- At about 11 a.m., all Missoula County Public schools were put under a soft perimeter lockdown and students were not allowed out of the buildings.
- Just after 1 p.m., the Missoula Police Department released a photo of a girl they believed involved and asked for the public's help in finding her.
- At 1:50 p.m., Hellgate started releasing students to their parents while all other MCPS schools continued on their normal schedule.
- At around 3:15 p.m., MPD reported there was no longer a threat to the community and three girls were in custody as people of interest.
