On May 16, 2018, every student and teacher at DHS had their own unique personal story of that day. Students throughout the building share their stories about the day of the shooting. 

 

      Closest to the location of the shooting with senior, Kobe St. Pier. St. Pier was in the old gym working on a survey for the school when shots rang out. 

 

       “Initially I did think they were gunshots, so I stood up and told everyone in the gym to stay calm and be quiet,” said St. Pier.

​

       The next closest to the events were juniors Madisyn Rubright and Aiden Schmall.

​

       Both Rubright and Schmall were in Emily Pitman‘s first our chemistry class, directly down the hall from where Matt Milby allegedly opened fire. They say they were both preparing for the final exams when they heard the shots.

​

      “We were in Mrs. Pitman’s room, everyone was spread out at desks and at the lab benches, just doing our final exam study guides,” said Rubright, “we heard three shots right away and we all sat there for a minute wondering what it was. Some people thought it might’ve been firecrackers and just a senior prank.”

​

       Unlike St. Pier, Rubright, Schmall and much of the school reports not hearing gunshots.

​

       English teacher Charla Beck and sophomore Olivia Rick did not hear the shots. The first they heard of the situation, they said was when Mr. Stanford made an announcement that the school was going into lockdown.

​

      Beck was in a temporary room, on the eastern side of the school because she was displaced due to the construction.

​

      “We were in Mr. Tates room due to the construction and the students were doing their poetry of music presentations. Because it was not our original room, I had no way of locking the door,” said Beck. 

​

      Rick says that she was in Lisa Gunther‘s computer apps class, located down the cafeteria hallway when Milby allegedly opened fire.

​

      “I didn’t hear the shots,  but I did notice that there were ambulances, police cars and firetruck sirens going off and  I was wondering what was going on.  I heard of the situation when Officer Wolfley came on the intercom. I could hear in his voice that it was not a good situation. His voice was shaky, and he sounded stressed. When he said that someone was in the building, Mrs. Guenther immediately told us to get on the ground, underneath the tables,” Rick said.

​

      After shots were heard by teachers and students in the gym, students were instructed to flee. 

​

      “We heard one of the teachers yell to get out, so it was an instant reaction for all 50 or so people to run out of the back doors at the gym. After exiting the high school through the doors by the spine stairs of the old gym, (doors facing east of the old gym),  something clicked in my brain to take control of the situation because everyone was freaking out and for a good reason, so I told everyone to keep running until we got to McDonald’s,” said St. Pier. 

​

      After arriving at McDonald’s St. Pier continued lead the group.

​

     “After getting to McDonald’s I pulled the manager aside and explained the circumstances and she open the play pace for us to hang out in until further instructions,” said St. Pier. 

​

      Feelings of shock felt by students in the gym after shots rang out were reciprocated down the hall in chemistry.

​

      All students in classrooms had previously been instructed to stay in the classroom until being evacuated. So unlike students in the gym they were first informed of the situation through the intercom.

​

      “Mr. Stanford first came on the intercom and said we were going into lockdown and that’s when we all went to the back of the room. Then Officer Wofley came on and said this is not a drill,”  and you could hear the tear in his voice and that’s when everyone knew it was real. After that we all started following our training,” Rubright said. 

​

      After hearing the announcement, it was go time for most students while others became worried for their friends and siblings safety.

​

      “The students responded just like training prepared them. Some took more powerful and leadership roles and while others were comforting their peers. They did a really good job staying off their phones, trying to not let phonelines get jammed,” Beck said,  “we started barricading the door,  stacking desk to the ceiling, and packing backpacks in between them.  No one was getting in that door.”

​

      Schmall was also a leader in his room, being one of the students to help barricade the door.

​

      “I ran to the door with Bryce Christiansen, and we moved a filing cabinet in front of the door. We sat behind it waiting to push it on anyone who came in.  Other kids were comforting their friends. Most of us were not sure if it was really happening, we were all shocked and scared,” said Schmall. 

​

      “We all got down on the ground and Mrs. Gunther was carrying a baseball bat because she could not get the fire extinguisher off the wall without making too much noise. She was walking around making sure everyone was okay,” Rick said.

​

      For students that could not evacuate, it was now waiting game.

​

      “We had to wait a while before being evacuated, probably 45 minutes. Dr. Grady first came by to make sure that everyone was okay and put an “X” above the door. Then the S.W.A.T  team came by and put a second “X” above the door and proceeded to evacuate us,” Beck recalled. 

​

      For students in Mrs. Pitman’s chemistry room being evacuated was terrifying yet relieving.

​

      “We waited in the room for a while, but then four guys from the S.W.A.T team carrying big guns broke down the door,  showed us their badge  and  told us to get on our knees,  put her hands behind our heads and we walked out of the door in a single file. It was super scary because at first, we didn’t know who was coming in the door,”  Rubright said.

​

      All students, whether they had fled,  or were evacuated by authorities were all transported to the Armory.

​

      When arriving at the Armory, students still in shock,  finally felt some relief seeing familiar faces.

​

      “We were one of the first classes at the Armory, so we had to wait a while for our friends to show up. But everyone was in relief to see each other we were all shocked and talking to each other about where we were when it happened,” said Rubright.

​

      For Schmall checking in on his friends was a top priority.

​

      “Personally, I wanted to make sure all my friends were safe, and I think this brought a lot of people together that day,” said Schmall. 

​

      After being accounted for at the Armory students were bussed over to the baseball field where they were reunited with their families.

​

      Students were allowed back inside the school that night to pick up belongings left behind.

​

      High school classes were canceled the following day with classes resuming on Friday for students to take final exams. 

​

      In the days following the shooting students still felt a sense of shock.

​

       “I was shocked. It had not hit me yet. That night I went to get my bag and it was scary knowing what could’ve happened. All the lockers were open and the “X’s” were above the doors. We had to be escorted through the building so people wouldn’t sneak off. It was scary how everything was exactly how we left it and in the quietness was creepy,” said Rubright. 

​

       “It was scary to walk back in through the same building where the event took place,  but I did feel that we were protected with the officers there in the days following,”  Rick said.

​

       The successful outcome could’ve not been possible without the training students had.

​

       “The kids did exactly what they were told. Kids were ready to fight. Like I said we had desks to the ceiling. I am proud of the kids and staff,”  Beck said.

​

       “We knew exactly what we were supposed to do because of our training. Kids took over and stepped up,”  said Rubright.

​

       “I think that Officer Wolfley trained us all as well as he could have. He told us that there would be those who had to step up and those that wouldn’t know what to do.  In that moment I looked at my class and just knew I had to step up and try my hardest to protect my classmates and my friends,” said Schmall. 

​

       With the shooting being about five months ago students have had time to recover, through still carry some fears. But most feel safe to return to school knowing they were in good hands. 

​

       “I am happy we had Officer Dallas there to protect us and that he followed his training. As for the shooter I think justice will be served,” said Rubright.

​

       “I feel like it is crazy that it happened to us. Never would I have through it would have. The training was there for us and that’s why we reacted perfectly. I could not be more thankful for the outcome,” said St. Pier.