Sep 24, 2018 - Non-Active School Shooter prompts Red Cloud school walkout on Pine Ridge

#StopGunViolence

Pine Ridge, SD

School Shooter Situation Causes Walkout at Red Cloud High.

Three days prior to today’s (9.24.2018) walkout , Bad Face Media broke the story about this armed, potentially very dangerous situation at Red Cloud School when a man posted a youtube video threatening Red Cloud School days before actually showing up in person, presumably to carry out the threats. The Red Cloud School, a private Jesuit school on the Pine Ridge Reservation, was hosting a sizeable contingent of outside donors on its campus just west of Pine Ridge village when the outside assailant made his presence known. In the youtube video the potential assailant launched threats related to the use of his donations. The would be attacker was part of the group of donors who traveled to the reservation school as part of an organized campaign for donors to see the campus firsthand.

Oglala Public Safety was on campus to apprehend the man, before he was able to execute on his threats on Friday 9.21.2018. At the time of arrest the man was reportedly in possession of or had access to a machete and a firearm. Red Cloud school officials did not call off school nor notify parents in spite of prior knowledge of these threats, instead opting for school and the donor visit to the school to continue as planned. This drew the criticism of some parents and community members claiming this action demonstrated their placing a higher value on donations than on kids’ safety. Additionally, it was and is unknown if school safety procedures for these unimaginable circumstances exist.

Students from Red Cloud High School did not know of the life threatening situation as it unfolded outside their classroom doors. The students had no way of preparing for a potentially deadly situation they are sadly too familiar with because of all the recent and recurring incidents of the sort. Students indicated some people knew of the events and others including staff and/or teachers were seemingly unaware as the events unfolded.

At 9am MST 9.24.2018 approximately 100 students walked out of their classes to demand action be taken to ensure their safety. Students gathered outside the high school to demand a protocol and safety plan be adopted and put in place so any future incidents will be handled differently or if there exists a protocol that it is followed. Parents present also demanded their right to know immediately if there is knowledge of any threats of this nature whatsoever, rather than being notified after the fact. Students also urged their tribal government, The Oglala Sioux Tribe, to enact laws that protect the educational institutions on the reservation. “School should be a safe place, we see what happens in this most violent country, we are not immune to that, this can happen anywhere” said one of the students participating.