TAYLORSVILLE, Utah — Three juvenile suspects are in custody after Taylorsville High School was placed in lockdown Thursday afternoon, along with several other schools in the area.
Taylorsville Police responded to the high school around 12:30 p.m. to reports of shots fired.
Police say they believe there was some kind of altercation between students in the parking of the school and a gun casing was found.
It was a tense moment for Trinity Reynolds, a senior at Taylorsville High School.
"I was a little freaked out, I won't lie to you," said Reynolds.
What was a normal Thursday for Reynolds, changed quickly as she was leaving her third-period class.
"Then I heard the teachers start yelling go to your classes, this is a lockdown, it's not a drill," said Reynolds.
She says she was rushed off to her next class.
"We were all just like, you know sitting in the dark," said Reynolds.
During this time, Reynolds was in constant communication with her mother, Vanessa McDonald, through text messages.
"I said keep me posted as to what is happening, she said I will do," McDonald said as she read some of their exchange. "I said you're not scared, right, she said I am a little shaken up."
McDonald even relayed information to her daughter, saying she had seen reports that there were shots fired in the parking lot.
"I was sick to my stomach and really worried but I didn't want her to know that," said McDonald.
McDonald told FOX 13 News on Thursday that she found out about the lockdown through social media.
"Pulled up the Granite School District website, I didn't see anything immediately, I went to Taylorsville website, didn't see anything," said McDonald. "Then, about 1:14 p.m., I got the, reverse phone call from Taylorsville notifying me that the school was on lockdown with no further details obviously."
Granite School District spokesperson Ben Horsley says he understands how parents can sometimes get a little nervous, not knowing or understanding what's going on.
"We communicate as quickly as we possibly can, our primary responsibility is to secure the school and make sure students are safe and so we will always do that in advance of communicating and we always share as much information as we can you have the latest and greatest," said Horsley.
Officials say there are potentially three other suspects still out there. Thankfully, they say there were no injuries.
With just four months left in her senior year, McDonald says her daughter should be having fun and getting ready for graduation, instead of having to go through something like this.
"She's got to worry about whether or not, you know, a shooter is in the hallways, you know, the staff locking themselves behind the door and now responsible for 35 to 40 children something," said McDonald.
For Reynolds, she tells FOX 13 News she hopes her school and others in the district will take the necessary precautions in trying to prevent an event like this, from happening again.
"I don't think anyone should ever go through this," said Reynolds.
Taylorsville High School would be on lockdown until 2:30 p.m., 20 minutes past their normal release time for the end of the school day.
