Teachers and students at Manual Arts High School were still reeling Monday after they said they spent up to seven hours with no official information or, in some cases, access to a bathroom or food after a reported gunman was seen on campus.
The allegedly armed student was seen during a lunchtime scuffle Friday and the school went into lockdown at 1 p.m., according to Los Angeles Unified School District officials.
Students and teachers were kept in their classrooms for several hours while Los Angeles Police Department officers, including members of the SWAT unit, searched the South L.A. campus.
Nearly 2,000 students were taken by school buses to the Sports Arena beginning around 4 p.m., where they were picked up by their parents. The last student was picked up shortly after 8.
No injuries were reported and the suspect was never found.
But many were still angry Monday because they said they did not hear from school administrators and had to depend instead on their cellphones or classroom televisions for news.
District officials said information about the lockdown was relayed over the public address system but that some classroom speakers might have been broken.
"There were a few incidents where [some] did not get all the information," said Earl Perkins, the assistant superintendent of school operations.
Perkins added that an adult under police supervision went to classrooms that had broken speakers to deliver updates.
Gloria Hernandez, a social studies teacher, said she had to call other colleagues to find out why the school was in lockdown.
"We were totally in the dark," she said.
Freshman Jessica Rodriguez, 14, was in English class when the lockdown began. She said she never heard an announcement from administrators, and when she couldn't reach her parents, she burst into tears.
"There were so many different stories, and I was scared," she said.
Teachers union representatives visited the school Monday to meet with members, and union president A.J. Duffy said he was told that the administration was slow to react and share information.
"You should be giving updates and bulletins over the loudspeaker," he said. "You should keep everyone in the loop."
Many students said they were able to use the restroom under the supervision of teachers or security officers.
