Robby Soave
The DC
October 17, 2013
Sixth graders were initially terrified to learn that a masked gunman was on the prowl inside their North Carolina middle school.
But once they learned the gunman was a school employee unwittingly putting them through an emergency preparedness exercise, their minds were set at ease — and their parents became the terrified ones.
The Eastern Wayne Middle School employee donned a ski mask and toy gun, and pretended to be a robber. The school described the incident as “an enrichment lesson on exhibiting good citizenship and observing your surroundings.”
“Even though play-acting caused some initial concerns, once the skit was completed, the teachers quickly explained who the person was and that the theft was not real,” wrote the school’s principal, Catherine Fulcher, in a letter to parents.