Hickman parents tell their children’s experiences at the homecoming dance after gun rumors

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Kristin Bowen said her son sent her a text 15 minutes before the dance was set to end to come pick him up. She said this was unlike him and she sensed something was wrong because he usually stays until the end.

"As my child was getting ready to leave, he said he saw some friends looking scared. He saw at least one classmate in tears and people started to run," Bowen said.

Bowen said her son did not see any evidence of a firearm or spoke to anyone who had seen it, it was all second hand.

Parent Jessica Flores Speaks says her kids heard a group of kids yell "gun" and people started running.

"It was very evident through the way that he laid it out to me that students believed something very terrible was happening and they were afraid," Bowen said.

Bowen said she has since learned that parents were picking us their children at neighboring properties and kids were scaling the fence to flee the outdoor dance.

Pretty soon after the dance had been cut short, the district sent an email to families.

Hickman High School Principal, Tony Gragnani, said in an email to parents that school staff, district security and the Columbia Police Department investigated the rumors, which were found to be unsubstantiated. 

Bowen said she believes the district handled the situation well because of the response time for contacting parents. "It was reassuring to me as a mom to know that they were aware of the problem, they were handling it, and that the police were sight."

Bowen said this is the largest dance that has ever been put on at Hickman. There were over 1,000 tickets sold.

With the large amount of people that were impacted about the event, Bowen says today is a day to check in students and staff about the traumatic event. "Even though there was no gun found, there were a lot of students who really felt traumatized."

Bowen is also a spokeswoman for Mom's Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. She said she hopes the district will take steps to encourage families to safely store guns at home.

"I don't think the answer is to lock down our dances and our school events. I don't think that's practical and I don't think it sends the right message to our kids," Bowen said.

Speaks said she thinks the district should have drills in place for events like this one.

CPS says counselors are available to any students who needs them.