Last Friday at approximately 5 p.m., Parkland High School was placed on Red Alert.

Students, faculty and staff were sent to locker rooms, and the gymnasium was put into lockdown.

"I was in the bathroom getting ready for the game with the rest of the team," varsity cheerleader Tiffany Keiper said. "When we were in the bathroom, a policeman knocked on the door and told us to immediately go to the gym, as we were, and not to worry about our bags."

Shortly before the school was put into lockdown, an unidentified person was seen running in camouflage pants and a packed vest.

The individual ran up to the flagpole, said a prayer and then saluted the flag before running in to the school.

A teacher who saw the man did not recognize him and thought his actions were suspicious.

Local authorities were immediately contacted and the process to find the person was initiated.

"We were told to go to the gym, that there was a person in the building who should not be there and that he was possibly armed," senior varsity volleyball player Callie Krajcir said.

Students, faculty, staff and parents gathered in the gym as they waited for further instructions.

After a short period of time, some were told to go down to the football field where the junior varsity team was practicing.

Once they reached the field, students whose parents were not already there were told to call home and have their parents pick them up.

Band members, football players and cheerleaders were dropped back off at the Troxell Building after the football game.

Students were not allowed back into the building to retrieve their bags or anything they left behind until after 11 p.m.

"I was kind of freaked out," freshman Parkland Aquatic Club swimmer Caroline Stang said. "But it was really nice because our coach was really calm about all of it."

After a thorough investigation, police identified the individual who ran into the school. He was a student training to enter the military, according to Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin.

While the incident Friday night ended up being a misinterpretation of actions, everyone at Parkland High School is proud and impressed by the speed and level of help provided by local authorities. Over the summer the school ran mock evacuation drills, and this incident gave them a real look into how everyone would truly respond.

Parkland is incredibly proud of the men and women who work so hard to protect us throughout the year, and last Friday night.