Lafayette High School Gets All-Clear: Why a Student Speaking Up Worked

LAFAYETTE, La. (KPEL News) — On Friday, September 12, 2025, Lafayette High School went into shelter in place after a student reported what they thought was a weapon in another student's backpack.

Unfortunately, the modern era has made schools very quick to respond to such claims. LHS acted quickly to shut things down and investigate. Luckily, there was no weapon on campus. What the student thought was a weapon was actually a voice recorder.

"The shelter-in-place at Lafayette High School has been lifted following a thorough investigation," LPSS Communications Director Tracy Wirtz said in a statement on Friday. "Earlier today, a student reported that she believed another student may have been in possession of a weapon. School administrators immediately contacted the Lafayette Police Department, who responded to the campus. Parents were notified of the shelter-in-place."

"After reviewing video footage and locating the student in question, officers determined the individual had a voice recorder and not a weapon," the release continued. "As part of their investigation, officers also searched trash receptacles and surrounding areas before providing an all-clear."

They Were Right to Act

Hindsight being what it is, there are those who would ask, "A student couldn't tell the difference between a voice recorder and a weapon?" To which I would say the old TSA rule following 9/11 applies here: If you see something, say something.

LHS was right to act quickly and order the shelter in place. LPD was right to move quickly to secure the scene and investigate. And the student was right to report it as soon as they noticed something didn't look right.

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To that student, I know parents of LHS students, and those of us across the parish, say thank you for being vigilant and thank you for being brave enough to report something.

It's very easy for students to be afraid of reporting a friend or peer when they do something wrong or may do something wrong. There is a ton of peer pressure going into it, and a ton of mocking and teasing that comes after the fact if you make a mistake. In this case, there was no weapon, and students were stuck in one place longer than normal. But, it happens, and it's okay.

Speak Up, Always

We unfortunately live in an era where we have to be prepared for a terrible situation. We have become almost desensitized to reports of school shootings, and yet we are constantly having to improve our responses. Society feels broken, where we are constantly having to address the root problems that lead to these tragedies.

And you know the mental and emotional toll it takes on a student when they come across a situation where they have to make a tough social call, because those social pressures in high school aren't something you just dismiss. They can weigh a student down. So to look at the situation and, in that moment, make the right call? That's huge.

I haven't seen much of it online, but I hope people in general are smart enough to recognize the good that the student did in making that report. Sure, it was nothing this time, but every parent out there would rather a (legitimate) false report than a situation where no one spoke up.

Again, it's tragic that this is the world we live in, but this kid deserves praise for making the decision to report.