Nov 12, 2009 1:41 pm US/Eastern
NY School To Reopen Thursday After Hostage Scare
PINE PLAINS, N.Y. (CBS) ―
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Stissing Mountain High School in Pine Plains was locked down and SWAT team members arrived at the school after a man entered the building and took a principal hostage on Nov. 10, 2009.
CBS
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A gunman is holding a principal hostage at a school in Pine Plains, New York. Chopper 2 HD was live over the scene on Tuesday morning, November 9, 2009.
CBS
New information about the school hostage scare in Dutchess County was revealed Wednesday, along with its impact on the students who lived through the lockdown.
Veteran's Day was a day to share "war stories" for students who lived through the hostage crisis at Stissing Mountain Middle and High School.
"We were in the corner, the teacher told us to be quiet and stay down," said student Dan DiBernardino.
"Everyone was down, the whole room was quiet," said student Courtney McMahon.
Students seem to be handling the aftermath remarkably well. Though some admit to anxiety about walking through the doors when the school reopens Thursday.
"I think it will be a little weird just to think that there was somebody with a gun in their and they held the middle school principal hostage," said student Justin Cooper.
On Wednesday, Principal Bob Hess kept a low profile a day after suspect Christopher Craft allegedly held him hostage inside the school. Craft spent an uneventful day in custody, according to the sheriff's office.
He's accused of sneaking a shotgun into the school, sparking the two-hour standoff, apparently angered about health care for his son, who recently left the military.
"Mr. Craft through his whole life had used these ways to get attention," said Pine Plains Town Supervisor Gregg Pulver, who added while there was anger at Craft yesterday, today it has softened.
"Sadness, that this was somebody who went his whole life looking for help, and maybe not receiving it," said Pulver.
In the days ahead, school officials will be reviewing security procedures. Some hope the Board of Education revisits the policy requiring students to leave their cell phones in their lockers.
Students who had snuck them into class say they were a lifeline during the crisis.
"I feel that kids should be able to let their family know what's going on," said McMahon.
Community meetings are planned to discuss that and other issues as Pine Plains works to move on.
"I don't think we're gonna linger too long on this. We should definitely make some changes to security and other things like that, but I think it would be better to put this behind us," said student Robert Haight, who is hoping back to school means back to normal.
Crisis counselors will be at the school when classes resume on Thursday.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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