Started in 1968 and Central
was an awesome school.
I mean, we had good fellowship.
The athletics. I mean, it was great.
We we never had any issues until
what we're discussing today.
It was just a a pleasant day.
So I think it was sunny.
I was going to lunch, you know,
right before all this happened.
But it was.
It was a nice day.
There was a door at the end of
the school at the parking lot in
and it was odd because that door
was hardly ever locked that day
for some reason it was locked.
I was coming from lunch and
I came around the corner when
Gerald was firing his weapon.
Yeah,
and that that just like and I I just froze,
I didn't know what to do and so I was.
You know, watching that and Gerald
took off and I think they called him down on.
Rotary Dr Just sitting there
waiting for the police but.
I mean that was I saw David fall.
But I didn't approach him 'cause I at
that time, you know, 1615 years old.
I didn't know what to do so but
I know after it all happened.
I was going to.
I was going to either.
Choir or band which was on that end,
but after it all happened they
made it announcement in the school
saying there has been an incident.
The police are in.
You know,
certain location at the building
if you can stay away that was that
was all that I remember being said.
But it was just I don't know.
He was kind of weird he was.
Now I heard the shots.
I know a friend virus, David Nash,
said he was in the parking lot in his
car and he heard the shots but he he didn't.
I don't think he left his car.
I think he just stayed in his car but I mean.
It was, it likes it.
It was just to watch that
I've never seen a shooting.
Before.
Especially when somebody was killed,
so it was just like I just froze.
There was a teacher I don't know who
it was that came from upstairs 'cause
the stairs went up to the second floor.
And I think I remember saying
her it was a female.
She said what happened?
What happened, you know,
kind of hollering out and then she
saw David laying there on the on,
the porch or whatever you
wanna call it there.
So.
I guess she called the police.
I assume I don't know because like
I said I was just in total shock.
You know,
just standing there just thinking
wow I just witnessed this and
the interesting part was.
When the police did arrive,
they interviewed me.
And you know that I can just remember the
officer coming up and saying his son.
What exactly did you see?
And then you know,
I told him what I saw,
but I never had to go to
court or anything
and it was it was quite interesting.
Just it was and they you know,
back in those days they didn't have
the crime scene tape and all I could.
It was just there it was.
I'm sure there were people coming from
the parking lot because like I said it
was during lunch period or right after
lunch period so they may have seen it.
I'd soon as I went around the corner.
I just I just stood up against
the wall and just like I can't
believe I saw what I just saw.
How long did you stay there just standing
there probably about 1520 minutes.
I'm like yeah.
Because I was and and it was right,
the police did come up.
I mean, pretty quick and the one officer.
I guess he saw me standing around
because I was up against the wall like
this and that's when he interviewed me.
You know, I was like, what did you see?
And I told him what I saw.
I saw Gerald Black that.
Two shots, three shots.
It was probably five shots that I remember.
Yeah,
it was just like I and I think he
had a revolver I think and I I'm
almost positive he emptied it.
I'd just didn't count the rounds,
but it was multiple rounds.
Anything was said.
You remember anything being said
between the two?
Somebody I don't know for a fact,
but somebody said that he had written a paper
that his English teacher may have seen,
and from that paper.
They should have picked up on
what was going on,
'cause I think he kind of described
what was going to happen and
then you know it happened so.
That was the odd part.
Now that I think back on it is like it,
it was no big deal, you know?
OK, somebody got shot.
Somebody got killed,
but classes went on this schedule.
Nothing changed. We didn't lock down.
We didn't have therapy.
People come in and say do we need to
talk to you? What did you experience?
Or are you OK mentally?
And although we didn't have
that or not that I remember,
but it's just.
Business as usual.
I don't want to say that we were tough.
Back in those days,
but and we were carrying people,
the school cared.
But I think the the faculty just said,
you know, we need to continue on with
the classes and hopefully that will
keep your mind off what just happened.
You know your studies and I like that.
But it was just again who's
kind of strange that they didn't
lock down were not locked down,
but cancelled classes that day so.