'Gun scare' at Princeton High School
Rumours of skollies in school uniform spark panic
Panic breaks out at Princeton High School on Thursday, September 4, as two boys, allegedly disguised in school uniform, enter the premises looking for another pupil.
Image: Marsha Bothma
Panic broke out at Princeton High School on Thursday, 4 September after claims that skollies disguised in school uniform had entered the school with guns.
Rumours that two unfamiliar laaities entered the premises looking for a pupil spread quickly, with concerned parent rushing back the skool.
Fortunately, while the alleged target was absent, cops say it was a hoax.
Lentegeur SAPS station commander Colonel Umavathie Rameshwarneth said: “Rumours spread quickly that these two pupils had a gun. The children panicked, and parents arrived at the school demanding that it be closed and their children sent home.
Rameshwarneth said there was speculation that the boys were armed gangsters, but this could not be confirmed. She said Lentegeur police members secured the area, and it was agreed that parents would meet the school governing body on Friday, 5 September to discuss the matter further.
When the Plainsman arrived at the scene, parents were already queueing outside with forms in hand to collect their children.
Image: Marsha Bothma
A mother, who asked to remain anonymous due to fear for her child's safety, said she rushed to the school after seeing a friend’s WhatsApp status.
She said: “Allegedly, the Fancy Boys were on the school grounds and jumped over the walls. They were looking for a pupil. Parents had to sign a form to take their children out.
“I’m unwell and recovering, yet I had to collect my son. Nothing can be done about this; it’s the area we live in. The school is following the right protocol to protect the kids, but gangsters are targeting youngsters. The only way to avoid this is if you move to other areas.
Her son, a Grade 9 pupil, said: “I saw two guys, but I only saw one with a gun. He was running on the school grounds and waiting in front of the gate. I don’t want to come back to school.”
Despite the chaos, matric pupils were not affected and were able to continue with their preliminary examinations, an anonymous Grade 12 pupil told the Plainsman.
WCED spokesperson Bronagh Hammond said an alleged threat led to precautionary safety measures, though it remains unclear if it was valid.
She stressed reports of gangsters entering or pupils with firearms were false. “Fake news caused parents to collect their children, but teaching and learning continued. Extra security was arranged for dismissal,” she said.