Students, parents 'scared to death' during lockdown at West Johnston High School

Late Friday morning, students said an announcement was made over the loud speaker saying the campus was on lockdown.

"You could tell in her voice she was panicking, and she said it wasn't a drill," one student said.

Years of lockdown drills had prepared students and teachers for what to do next.

“At first when I got in the classroom, they said it was a lockdown. I thought people were playing because they were laughing, but then things got dead silent. They said it was an actual lockdown. That’s when my heart started panicking. I was really scared. I was this close to crying," another student said.

Students and teachers locked and barricaded classroom doors. Some others huddled in a corner and stayed quiet.

"It was terrible. People were making noises, screaming. We were scared to death," a student said.

"I thought I was going to die ... I said a little prayer and told my family I loved them and that this was the end for me. Everything went blank," said Jeremiah Barbour.

Parents rushed to the school.

"I just jumped out of my car and ran all the way to the school," said Susan Cuevas. "I just wanted to see their faces. I just wanted to hug them and just know that they were OK."

When the sheriff informed parents gathered outside the school that seven trespassers had been arrested -- and no weapons were found -- relief washed over the crowd. Parents and students rushed into a mass embrace.

"When it came to my two boys, they're all I have," Cuevas said. "They're my babies and my life, and I'll do anything I can to protect them."

Sheriff Steve Bizzell said five males and two females, who were from the Raleigh area and range in age from 14 to 16 years old, were charged with second-degree trespassing.

Bizzell said someone in the group was in an online conversation with a student at the school and came to pick the student up. When the student didn't come outside, the teens went into the school.

He said there is no reason to believe the security incident had anything to do with gangs, drugs or human trafficking.

Terrified students recounted the incident after it was over.

"It was really scary and terrifying because most of the girls in the class were crying. So we were all freaking out trying to find out what happened," one student said.

Student Body President Nick Moston said he's glad the school has practiced drills.

"Within 10 minutes we had police officers at our door," he said. "Those (drills) really help, especially in such a real situation like this."