A fistfight at Issaquah High School on Monday led to a lockdown, a halt in classes, and a school employee inadvertently caught in the crossfire while attempting to quell the violence. According to KOMO News, the employee was trying to stop the fight in one of the school's common areas when they were assaulted.
As the incident unfolded, confusion gripped the school with students already in their classrooms, being ordered by the principal over the public address system to stay in place. Trying to get a grasp of the situation, students like senior Dallyn Ho were surprised by a sudden lockdown just before the second period. “I'm walking in, and my friend is like, 'There's a lockdown. none of us are getting in.'" Ho told KOMO News.
Meanwhile, fear took root with rampant speculation on social media feeding false information about the violence's extent. "As I was just sitting there on my phone, I was getting rumors about teachers or people getting stabbed, shot, or tackled," remarked Bret Keilin, another senior, as obtained by KOMO News. Despite no such events occurring, students confronted by the lockdown didn't know what rumors to believe.
A lack of initial communication from school officials further kindled the students' anxiety. With the truth buried beneath waves of unverified social media claims, the real scope of the incident became lost to many. It was later confirmed by police that the rumors, including those regarding alleged blood stains in the gym, were not true. Many students, described in reports from MyNBC15 and Mid Michigan Now, were left in the dark regarding the difference between rumors and reality.
