News

School goes into lockdown

By Scott Wagar

12/03/2013

The Bottineau School District went into a lockdown on Friday morning after a deadly shooting took place in Belcourt.

The shooting, which sent law enforcement in search of the individuals responsible, caused a number of schools to close or go into lockdown.

The crime took place at the Eagleview Community in Belcourt where one person was killed.

As law enforcement pursued the individuals responsible, numerous schools took safety measures within its districts.

Schools in Belcourt, Rolla and Dunseith, along with some others schools, closed for the day, while other districts went into a lockdown through one form or another, which included Bottineau.

“Because of the individuals involved in the incident at Belcourt had not been apprehended, the district decided to lock all the exterior doors to our school building,” said Jason Kersten, superintendent of the Bottineau School District. “The elementary recesses were held inside and we had a closed campus for lunch. This was done as a precautionary measure to make sure all of our exterior doors remained locked.”

Kersten added the school did not technically go into lockdown, it only kept its doors locked during the school day.

“The district continued to have classes. In a true lockdown, students would not be allowed to leave the room they were currently in until administration or law enforcement gives the okay,” Kersten said. “In this case, we made sure all the exterior doors were locked. Individuals were able to enter the building. They just needed to be let in. As a district, we wanted to make sure and keep our students and staff safe.”

The doors being locked in the school district started when Kersten received a phone call from Bottineau County Sheriff Steve Watson and another superintendent.

“After visiting with Sheriff Watson, my principals, our head maintenance and I decided to lock the exterior doors of all the buildings and have the elementary recess inside,” Kersten said. “At 10 a.m., it was decided to have a closed campus lunch. Again, this was done more as a precautionary to make sure our exterior doors stayed locked.”