GEISMAR — Parents rushed to Dutchtown High School Thursday after authorities placed the campus on lockdown when a student brought a gun to school and threatened another student, according to the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office.

“I dropped everything and ran to the school to come get my son,” John Kolb, a parent, said.

School officials lifted the lockdown after deputies intervened, but many parents didn’t wait for classes to resume and went straight to pick up their children. Students inside the building described moments of confusion and fear as the situation unfolded.

Freshman John Kolb Jr. said he and other students took cover and barricaded themselves inside the school’s band hall. 

“We taped a sweatshirt over the window so nobody could look in. And we actually had a few screwdrivers in there, just in case somebody tried to come in,” he said.

Kolb said it didn’t take long for him to realize the threat was real. 

“Then the bell rang. I’m like, why are we still here? It’s been, like, 40 minutes. I don’t think it’s a practice drill,” he said.

Deputies confirmed the student carried a gun in his pocket. Investigators have not said whether the firearm was loaded. A school resource officer took the student into custody after he tried to flee. 

“They went hands-on, because it was on his person, took him into custody and handcuffed him,” Cpl. Donald Capello with the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office said.

Students described seeing the officer confront the student. 

“They told him to come up, put his hands up. He tried to run, and he got tackled,” one student said.

No one was hurt, but the incident left parents shaken.

“I don’t think he should have been able to get past the front door with a gun,” Kolb Sr. said.

Deputies say the incident is a reminder for parents to secure firearms at home. 

“Lock up your guns, make sure that your kids don’t have access to them,” Capello said.

The sheriff’s office said the student will face charges including possession of a handgun by a juvenile, illegal carrying of a firearm, aggravated assault, and terrorizing.