Don't ask me why it happened, but it was scary.
This afternoon I picked up LA (Little Avenger) at her 2:30 pm recess from Wallace School, same as usual. But today, instead of leaving for home straight from the schoolyard, we went back into the school through a side entrance in order to pick up a sick child's homework waiting at the Main Office.
Once inside, LA & I were approached by a teacher who told us we couldn't go further because the building was "on lockdown", and she offered us sanctuary inside her classroom. Instead, we exited the building and walked all the way around it to the main entrance; I figured we'd just run in quickly, grab the homework and get the hell out.
But once back inside, we saw crowds of parents, teachers and kids being herded en masse into the gym. A woman was stationed near the front doors directing the flow of people, saying, "I don't know what's going on, but we're on lockdown". I could see that people outside the building were now being directed back into the building.
So, LA & I went quickly into the Main Office, I grabbed the homework from the service desk, and a secretary in the office said sternly, "You can't leave the building". Great.
LA & I were then herded into the gym, where confused groups of children and parents were wandering aimlessly, everyone asking each other "what's going on?" A friend was panicking because she had retrieved her daughter, age 4, but couldn't find her son, 7. Others looked worried, confused. This went on for about 10 minutes, as I eyed an exit door wondering what outside was so bad that we were safer inside, wondering if I should grab LA and go.
Enter Mr. Tortorella, the Wallace School Principal, who strode into the gym, stood up on a table and announced, "the emergency is over". He d been told there had been a "car bomb scare in the southwest part of Hoboken".
Oh. That was it? Just a bomb scare. Another day, another bomb scare.
As LA and I stood in the slow-moving crowd on our way out, I listened to a woman in front of me trying to explain what a "bomb scare" was to her little boy, who looked to be about 7 years old. The boy was firing questions at her non-stop: what kind of bomb? How did it get there? How do the police take it out? What if it blows up? Why don't they use robots? And on and on...
Which made me think about the loss of innocence in that gym, kids who will now worry about bad guys putting bombs in cars.
And that's all.
If anyone has information on what happened earlier (about 2:40 pm) post away.
Update, 5;:00 pm:
Leave it to Da Horsey to get the scoop.
Per a statement issued by Mayor Zimmer: a "clicking noise" had been reported from a vehicle near 5th and Clinton, then the area was cordoned off, the Jersey City Bomb Squad was called in, and schools were notified. Shortly thereafter, the bomb squad determined there was no threat, and there you have it.
This afternoon I picked up LA (Little Avenger) at her 2:30 pm recess from Wallace School, same as usual. But today, instead of leaving for home straight from the schoolyard, we went back into the school through a side entrance in order to pick up a sick child's homework waiting at the Main Office.
Once inside, LA & I were approached by a teacher who told us we couldn't go further because the building was "on lockdown", and she offered us sanctuary inside her classroom. Instead, we exited the building and walked all the way around it to the main entrance; I figured we'd just run in quickly, grab the homework and get the hell out.
But once back inside, we saw crowds of parents, teachers and kids being herded en masse into the gym. A woman was stationed near the front doors directing the flow of people, saying, "I don't know what's going on, but we're on lockdown". I could see that people outside the building were now being directed back into the building.
So, LA & I went quickly into the Main Office, I grabbed the homework from the service desk, and a secretary in the office said sternly, "You can't leave the building". Great.
LA & I were then herded into the gym, where confused groups of children and parents were wandering aimlessly, everyone asking each other "what's going on?" A friend was panicking because she had retrieved her daughter, age 4, but couldn't find her son, 7. Others looked worried, confused. This went on for about 10 minutes, as I eyed an exit door wondering what outside was so bad that we were safer inside, wondering if I should grab LA and go.
Enter Mr. Tortorella, the Wallace School Principal, who strode into the gym, stood up on a table and announced, "the emergency is over". He d been told there had been a "car bomb scare in the southwest part of Hoboken".
Oh. That was it? Just a bomb scare. Another day, another bomb scare.
As LA and I stood in the slow-moving crowd on our way out, I listened to a woman in front of me trying to explain what a "bomb scare" was to her little boy, who looked to be about 7 years old. The boy was firing questions at her non-stop: what kind of bomb? How did it get there? How do the police take it out? What if it blows up? Why don't they use robots? And on and on...
Which made me think about the loss of innocence in that gym, kids who will now worry about bad guys putting bombs in cars.
And that's all.
If anyone has information on what happened earlier (about 2:40 pm) post away.
Update, 5;:00 pm:
Leave it to Da Horsey to get the scoop.
Per a statement issued by Mayor Zimmer: a "clicking noise" had been reported from a vehicle near 5th and Clinton, then the area was cordoned off, the Jersey City Bomb Squad was called in, and schools were notified. Shortly thereafter, the bomb squad determined there was no threat, and there you have it.
Thanks for grabbing the homework although my little hullabaloo is hard pressed say "thanks" for homework (but he does with a grimaced smile). Who knew it would be so dramatic and yes the loss of innocence is sad reality indeed even in our generally safe and very secure country. It always makes me wonder how I would parent in a war zone and thankful that is not my reality.
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