Charlotte High School lockdown leaves students and parents shaken

Students and parents at Charlotte High School in Punta Gorda were left shaken after a potential school threat prompted a lockdown, which was later confirmed to be a false alarm. Jayda Jones, a student at Charlotte High, was in gym class when she noticed blue lights flashing, signaling a lockdown. She said the situation escalated when her teacher began to panic. "I was so, so, so scared. And then finally they said it was okay and stuff, and they told us what was happening, and then we just had to sit in class for another 30 minutes on self-lockdown," Jones said. Her mother, Julie Jones, learned about the situation through social media and rushed to the school to sign her daughter out early. "Yeah, it's very scary to be able to want to send your kids to school anymore. It's just not — I don't know, it just doesn't feel safe. Even though I know the officers are going to do what they need to do. I mean, unfortunately, they can't control these people doing these things, but one time it's going to be real," Julie Jones said. Other students shared their experiences after dismissal. "I heard a lot of sirens, and my friend showed me a video he took of the police. There was, like, four cop cars outside, and they were walking around," said Alex Mascey, a Charlotte High student. "I saw this one cop in there. He had a big AR; I never saw one of those before like that in school. It was also scary," added Leland Fisher, another student. Harlow Ottinger, also a student, described the tense moments during the lockdown. "I was honestly listening, like, for the sound of gunshots, because I didn't know if it was like, if there was actually an active shooter," Ottinger said. Although the incident turned out to be a false alarm, the emotional impact remains. "I think it's definitely something that's going to be in my head for a bit," Ottinger said. "It's always kind of been in the back of my mind since like middle school, though," added Sidney Frye, another student. The lockdown also affected Punta Gorda Middle School, Sallie Jones Elementary, and Baker Center. Charlotte County Public Schools informed parents through the ParentSquare app that the situation had been cleared. Punta Gorda police confirmed there was no active threat to any of the schools, but further details about the investigation are still pending. DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment, and original programming on your TV.