NC teachers and student honored for ‘brave and heroic actions’ in school shooting
Four Fuquay-Varina Middle School employees and a student are being hailed as heroes for their response to a shooting that shocked the campus earlier this month.
Sixth-grade teacher Lynn Guilliams and Assistant Principal Paige Elliott were honored at Tuesday’s meeting of the Fuquay-Varina Board of Commissioners for disarming a student at the school on Dec. 8. Sixth-grade teachers Jeff Junio and Samantha Colecchia and eighth-grade student Colton Kaplar were also recognized for ushering students to safety.
“These brave and heroic actions of the following individuals resulted in the saving of lives and a peaceful resolution to the incident,” Fuquay-Varina Police Chief Brandon Medina said at the recognition ceremony.
The five individuals, along with Principal Kris Clark, received a Mayor’s Commendation and the Mayor’s Coin from Mayor Blake Massengill.
‘Keeping calm’
On Dec. 8, shortly before 8 am., a 12-year-old sixth-grade student fired a gun at a window inside a classroom. There were no injuries, but a Code Red lockdown was activated.
“Ms. Colecchia witnessed the gun and students running,” Medina said. “Since her classroom was directly next door to where she saw the gun, she ushered/ran 17 students out of the building and across the street. At least seven of those 17 students were in the room when the student pulled out the firearm and fired one shot.”
Colecchia stayed with the students while they were giving interviews and police statements. She also worked to reunite the students with their parents.
Medina said Colecchia “did an excellent job keeping calm and keeping the students calm for hours.”
‘In the line of fire’
When Junio heard the Code Red announcement, Medina said the teacher began clearing the sixth-grade hallway. Medina said Junio was grabbing children and physically tossing them into classrooms.
While Juno was only in the hallway for approximately 60 seconds, Medina said the teacher “was directly in the line of fire for anything that was going on in the hallway.”
“He remained in the area getting children out of harm’s way and remained, himself, in harm’s way — protecting and safeguarding the children — until his hallway was cleared,” according to the presentation read by Medina.
‘You’re a leader’
Kaplar, the eighth-grade student, was in the hallway when the Code Red was announced. Medina said Kaplar saw that there were sixth-grade students in the hallway who weren’t headed in any direction.
Kaplar gathered the younger students and escorted them into an adjacent classroom. He then let each student use his phone so they could call their parents to let them know they were safe.
Massengill told Kaplar that he’s the youngest person he’s ever awarded a Mayor’s Commendation or Mayor’s Coin.
“You’re going to be a leader,” Massengill told Kaplar. “You’re a leader right now by leading the kids, but you’re going to continue to be a leader in life.
“I know your parents are very proud of you. You’ve got great parents that helped raise you.”
‘True act of heroism’
Guilliams was outside her classroom when the gun was fired. When the lockdown was announced on the intercom, Guilliams ushered students into her classroom and locked the door.
But Guilliams soon discovered that one of her students was standing in front of her holding a pistol.
“She was now locked inside her classroom with the shooter,” Medina said. “She could have unlocked her room and run out. She could have frozen and done nothing. Instead, she immediately told him, ‘Give me the gun right now! Right now!’”
Medina said Guilliams approached the student with her hand out and took the gun from him. Guilliams then called Elliott, the assistant principal, to tell her she had the gun and student.
After escorting the other students out of her room, Guilliams returned to comfort the shooter. Medina said Guilliams calmed the student down so much that he walked under his own power, and without any force being used, to the office to be interviewed by law enforcement.
The student and the adult who allegedly gave the gun to the juvenile face charges.
“This was a true act of heroism deserving the recognition we are providing this evening,” Medina said. “Mrs. Guilliams not only stood up for her own kids and risked her own safety, but she also saw one of her kids hurting, and returned to console the child that had made an unfavorable decision.
“Ms. Guilliams never had a second thought about approaching an armed student and disarming him because it was one of her kids and she wanted what was best for him.”
‘Placed herself in harm’s way’
Elliott heard the Code Red called out but noted it wasn’t immediately received by the front office. She went on her radio to confirm to staff that a lockdown had been activated.
Elliott then called 911 to request Fuquay-Varina Police to respond. She also contacted the Wake County school system’s Security Department to respond.
After being contacted by Guilliams, the presentation says Elliott assisted the teacher in detaining and securing the student and the firearm. Elliott took the gun, made it safe, and located the school resource officer to turn over the weapon.
“She placed herself in harm’s way early in the incident when no law enforcement was present to get the situation under control as soon and as safely as possible considering the circumstances,” Medina said.
For the rest of the incident, Elliott assumed the role of liaison between the school administration and law enforcement. This freed up the principal to handle the rest of the school and reunite the students with their families.
This story was originally published December 21, 2022 at 12:19 PM.
