“You hear like the first gunshot and then people were like, ‘ What happened and then very quickly you hear like the 123.”
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A Natomas father and daughter are recounting the frightening moments when a former student was shot and killed on campus at Natomas High School Friday afternoon.
Seventeen-year-old Katelyn Allen said she was just a few feet away when the shooting happened after a school rally, describing a sudden shift from confusion to panic.
“You hear like the first gunshot and then people were like, ‘ What happened?'” Allen said. “Then very quickly you hear 1,2,3.”
Allen said chaos quickly followed.
“Theres complete silence, and then you hear the running, and then you hear the screaming,” Allen said. “Because you know your instinct is to get out before showing the fear that you’re feeling.”
Sacramento police said the person shot was a former Natomas High School student who died on scene around 3:30 p.m. Officers described the incident as targeted and isolated.
Allen said she heard people yelling that they could see a gun and immediately ran from the area. She called police and then contacted her father.
Tim Allen said he went into “auto mode” after receiving the call.
“I got that phone call and, kind of just went into auto mode and just like I said, we kind of had a plan for this in effect already if something were to happen for her to run for her life and get off campus,” Tim said. “And she did that.”
A day later, he said the shock had given way to lingering emotions.
Tim Allen said he has been dealing with feelings of depression and anxiety while reflecting on how close his daughter was to danger.
Katelyn Allen said she has also struggled with lingering “what-if” questions, including whether additional safety measures could have made a difference.
“I’ve been talking to like a lot of my friends. What if we were like a few seconds earlier leaving? what if he just decided to take out his anger on everybody?” Katelyn said.
Her father said discussions about school violence often focus heavily on gun control, but he believes the issue is more complex.
“I think we need to kind of shut down that narrative a bit and start exploring more about the mental health issues,” Tim said.
Both father and daughter also raised concerns about an email sent on Wednesday warning families about an online threat.
The family initially believed it could be connected to Friday’s shooting. However, Sacramento police later clarified that the earlier threat was not related to the incident.
Watch more from ABC10: Former student shot and killed at Natomas High School, district call it a “targeted attack”
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