PARKLAND, Fla. — When a shooting erupted at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, the first thing some students did was contact their parents.
Those parents’ voices could be heard on the line in 911 calls released by the Broward County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday.
One woman’s voice cracked as she read the dispatcher a text message from her son: “Shot, shot, shot. Mom. God.”
At least one person called from inside the school. “Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School is being shot up,” the caller whispered.
The Broward County Sheriff’s Office released a sampling of the calls operated received on February 14. Here are some excerpts:
‘You need to play dead’
One person called 911 on behalf of a mother who was on speaker phone with her daughter.
Caller: “There’s no place to hide … they’re crouched under the window.”
Mom: “Oh my God, I love you. It’s the cops?”
Mom: “Can you play dead?… If he shoots, you need to play dead. If he shoots, play dead.”
A call from inside the school
Caller: “Someone’s shooting up the school at Stoneman Douglas.”
Caller: “Someone’s shooting up Marjory Stoneman Douglas.”
Caller: “Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School is being shot up.”
‘She’s behind the desk right now’
Caller: “My daughter just texted me from school, she’s at Stoneman Douglas … and she says there’s an active shooter.”
Caller: “She says she’s behind the desk right now but the shots were close.”
‘Shooting in Douglas High School’
Caller: “My son (called) me now, says … ‘there is shooting in Douglas high school.'”
Caller: “He text me … and he said ‘shot, shot shot. Mom. God.'”
‘He’s locked in the math class’
Dispatcher: “Ma’am, where is your son inside the school? What room number is he in?”
Mom: “He said he’s in one of the math classes.”
Dispatcher: “Do you know what room number that is?
Mom: “I asked him, he said he’s locked in a math class.”
