Today started off normally like every other day. I woke up, took a shower and headed off to class. The only thing I did differently this morning was that I rode the bike to campus along with the bus rather than taking the bus solely. Prices went up so I'm trying to stop unnecessary spending.
It's Wednesday so I enter the newsroom at 8:30am for the editorial board meeting that happens every Monday and Wednesday. Talked about the upcoming print issue, which story is going where, discussed what next issue would look like. Normal editorial fare. Immediately following this class is what we call "Hell Sheet" where reporters and photographers all meet with the editors of The Roundup along with our advisors, and critique the latest print issue (which we haven't done yet as our first print issue is next week) and dish out assignments.
Shortly after the beginning of class, the Editor-In-Chief receives a call saying the sheriffs have blocked off one of the entrances to the campus so he tells one of our photo editors, one other photographer and a reporter to go check it out. I was sitting right beside him when the call was taken so I ask him what's going on to which he replied a possible armed suspect. No questions, I jump to the back area, grab a camera and out the door I ran to the closed off entrance gate, not caring much for anything other than getting the shot and getting the story.
Two sheriff squad cars block the Winnetka entrance to Pierce College after a suspected gunman was seen driving through campus according to an email alert that was sent out to students and faculty on Wednesday Sept. 17. Woodland Hills, Calif. Photo: Mohammad Djauhari/Roundup News
It's REALLY important to approach breaking news in that way especially coming from a student run publication because first it starts off with a call which leads to a closing of one gate and as time passes by, more police units arrive on scene and what started off as a closed gate, quickly becomes into a school lockdown and once the school gets locked down, no one leaves and no one enters. Not even the media can get onto campus unless administration sets up a mobile media area. Knowing how a lockdown works, it becomes important that because you are the school's news/media, everyone else will be looking towards the publication for updates and information. Worried parents and loved ones would want to know what's going on. People in the community would like to know what's going on.
When you hear certain key words such as lockdown, as a journalist, you should be on auto-pilot; it's automatic. Screw everything else. At least in my humble opinion. You hope for the best but be prepared for the worst.
So there I am, along with my fellow student journalists at the closed off gate, trying to get the shot and get the story. Sheriff deputies had set up a mobile command post one block away. Sheriff helicopters hovering overhead. The school was on lockdown and the block was shutdown from local traffic. Really exciting stuff as my heart pounds running to and fro from one location to another as we get news updates as to what the sheriff were doing. We had photographers and reporters on both ends of the street, spanning 3 blocks covering this thing. The Roundup News had this story well covered.
In the end, the suspected person was never found and no one knows who made the call. It's great nothing terrible happened. I've covered 2 campus lockdown situations this year and I treated each one the same regardless of the outcome. Grab your gear and go. The story needs to be told because people want to know.
If you'd like to know what happened today, click this link where you can find out how this story transpired along with some of my photographs.
-Q