MARYSVILLE — Parents were clearly frustrated by the limited information they were able to receive in the hour following the Oct. 24 fatal shootings at Marysville Pilchuck High School.
Calls poured in to a dispatch center from worried parents and others trying to get information, or verification of what they heard was happening. Recordings of those 911 phone calls were released Friday by SNOPAC, the dispatch center that serves much of Snohomish County.
One 911 dispatcher, calling a parent back about an hour after the shooting to tell him where he could find his daughter, took the brunt of his anger.
He’d already heard from his daughter and was following events as students and others reported on Twitter, Facebook and elsewhere about what they’d seen or heard.
“The names of the shooters are on social media,” said the clearly perturbed father. “Everybody knows what’s going on based on social media. So that’s where I have to go for my information.”
While many details which initially spread via social media turned out to be untrue — Jaylen Fryberg, 15, was the lone shooter — word of how students were being led out of the school and where parents could get them were accurate.
The nature of the event, as it was unfolding, seemed to put parents and dispatchers at odds with each other. Parents were seeking any news that would let them know if their children were safe; dispatchers were following their rules, which early on prevented them from even confirming some of the basics of the situation.
One exchange, about 20 minutes after the shootings were first reported, was typical.
“My daughter just called from Marysville Pilchuck High School, saying there were shots fired in the cafeteria,” a woman told a 911 operator.
“OK.”
“And she is wandering with friends in the neighborhood,” the mother said. “I’m a little concerned that I cannot get through to the school or …”
“I can’t give any information out about an incident, ma’am. OK?” the 911 dispatcher said. “I understand your concerns. You have a child at Marysville Pilchuck High School then?”
“Yes, and she just called, and they have run into the local neighborhood.”
“OK.”
“There were shots fired in the cafeteria,” the mother said.
“OK. I understand.”
“You have not heard anything of this?”
“I cannot give any information out about an active incident, ma’am,” the operator said. “We’re not allowed to do that for obvious reasons. Did you need a phone call from somebody or something?”
“No, I can’t get through to the school or the school district.”
“I understand.”
“You know, I’m a little concerned.”
“I understand, but this is 911 and we don’t give information out here, we can only take information, OK? All right?”
“OK,” the woman said.
A few minutes later, dispatchers were more helpful.
When another mother called 911, the dispatcher told her: “I can confirm there has been a shooting at the school. Unfortunately, I don’t have any additional information. I suggest …”
“There has been a shooting at the school?”
“There has been a shooting at the school. I would turn on the news and listen for where parents and children are supposed to be staging to meet up with your children. Unfortunately we don’t have that information yet because it’s still evolving. And then listen to your cellphones as well — they may send out a broadcast message to let you know where to pick up your children.”
“So you can’t confirm who, what and …”
“We don’t have any of the names of the students involved. All we know is we do have a report of a shooting. Police and paramedics are at the location as of right now. OK? Sorry about that.”
“OK, thank you.”
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