'This tightness in my chest': Parents shaken after Henry Clay student arrested on campus with a loaded gun (UPDATED)

Tabitha Durrum was one of a number of nervous parents gathered near campus soon after receiving news of the lockdown. Like many, she was hanging on every word — texting with her daughter, a freshman, awaiting a promised but still absent email from the school system, and asking around for information.

The possibility of a school shooting, she says, has always loomed large for her.

"That's always been a fear of mine since I've had children... that one day they're going to go to school and I'm going to have this issue," she explains. "And it started early. I mean, in elementary school they start training them on how to prepare for these lockdown situations."

And while she’s thankful for that training, emotion can’t help but take over in a case like this.

Soon after, parents are split into two groups, drivers and walkers, and given directions to where they can be reunited with their kids. Responses ranged from sighs of relief to frustration over a process one parent described as a “free-for-all.”

A line grows longer and longer near the school entrance as some parents wait, while others emerge, many smiling and hugging their kids.

At an afternoon press conference, Fayette County Public Schools Police Chief Martin Schafer said officers located the student in question and confiscated a loaded handgun in in a bag.

"A 15-year-old student has been arrested and charged with possession of a weapon on school property," he told reporters. "We do not have any reason to believe that this student intended to use the weapon."

Welcome news, to be sure, but for those involved, yet another reminder of just how quickly the threat can become all-too-real.

For now, it's still unclear how the unidentified student was able to get a loaded handgun into the building, despite what school leaders describe as multiple layers of security, including metal detectors. But the incident is raising questions about the effectiveness of the policies and precautions.

Fayette County school leaders say there are a number of levels of protection — some disclosed, others not — that help ensure no student gets into school with a weapon. But Thursday’s incident is bound to call the district’s 10-point safety system into question. During the Thursday afternoon press conference, Fayette Superintendent Demetrus Liggins said those policies will be under review.

"We're looking at all of the things that occurred today and all the things that possibly have led to what occurred today, and ensuring that we are going to continue to improve if we find that there are holes in some of our systems," Liggins said.

What did work, school leaders say, is a culture of cooperation built up between students and teachers and staff at Henry Clay. Chief Schafer said it was a tip from a student that got the attention of law enforcement.

"A student saw something that they felt was consistent with a firearm and then they expressed that to staff, which quickly led to an investigation with police and staff," Schafer elaborated.

Henry Clay Principal Paul Little praised students’ commitment to keeping their school safe, telling reporters the reality of school violence seen across the country isn’t lost on them.

Kentucky lawmakers passed comprehensive school safety legislation in recent years that was meant to strengthen school security — both by “hardening the target” with more robust safety measures and by bolstering things like student mental health services. But as for Thursday’s incident at Henry Clay, avoiding a potential emergency may have come down to something as simple as a sense of trust.

UPDATE (10/28): The Fayette County Public School System released this statement from Superintendent Demetrus Liggins on Friday regarding the ongoing investigation into the handgun incident.

Read the full statement below:

Thank you for your support and patience as we have continued over the past 24 hours to investigate the circumstances that led to yesterday’s lockdown and the subsequent arrest of a 15-year-old Henry Clay High School student for possession of a weapon on school property.

Although the police investigation is ongoing, we are writing this afternoon to provide an update and share the information that can be made public at this time.

All information gathered at this time continues to confirm that the student had no intent to use the weapon at school, and no threats were made against students, staff, or the school.

Only one student was involved.

The student in possession of the firearm did not follow Henry Clay High School procedures requiring students to enter through the metal detectors in either the gymnasium or the front entrance.

Officers have clear evidence that the student in possession of the firearm entered the building after the school day began by following a class of students that was returning inside with a teacher after an outdoor activity.

Following any incident of this nature, district, school, and law enforcement officials conduct a thorough review in order to examine our processes and procedures and the fidelity to which existing safety protocols are being implemented.

Our goal in this process is to identify areas for improvement not only at Henry Clay, but also throughout the school district. Part of this work will include opportunities for input from students, employees, and families. We will share additional information as decisions are made.

While immediate steps are being taken to address yesterday’s situation, a community effort is needed to keep weapons out of the hands of teenagers. As it will soon be five years since the District Safety Advisory Council published its recommendations, plans were already underway to reconvene a community panel to assess our progress and determine next steps. The council will begin working during the second semester and information about that process will be shared widely.

Sincerely,

Demetrus Liggins, Superintendent