Stories of school shootings, mass bombings, and deadly riots plague news feeds almost every day, but here at the Academy, we often grow complacent and take our safety for granted. Unfortunately, for myself and others among our number, the same can no longer be said.
On June 19th, 2025, the lives of thousands of high school students were about to change forever. That afternoon, the National Speech and Debate Association was holding their final rounds for the main speech events. Over 2,000 people were gathered in the main conference room, and 10,000 more were in the building either watching the middle school finals, ordering food, buying merch, or managing the building.
Back in the main conference room, the last finalist for Humorous Interpretation was walking towards the center of the stage when a 20-year old man with a backpack mounted the stage from the opposite side. The man walked to center stage unrestrained and suddenly yelled, “I have a joke for you all.. Knock knock.” Recognizing potential danger, the final competitor’s coach yelled to her, and her response was captured on her live mic: “Run?” The man had dropped to his knees and was taking off his backpack, and instantly the room erupted with pandemonium.
Alarms started blaring, and everyone formed a stampede toward the few exits available. Parents were holding their young children, teenagers were getting trampled left and right, older siblings were pushing and throwing their younger sibling towards the front so that they could get out faster, and people in the bathroom were sending goodbye texts to their loved ones with tears streaming down their faces. As more people escaped, more chaos set in. People screamed and cried, trying to find their loved ones. Girls threw off high heels and ran to safety, not caring for their bleeding feet. Ambulances arrived and began treating people who had gotten trampled. Pure panic, rage, and horror ran through everyone, as coaches, competitors, and supporters alike feared the worst.
Thankfully, the competitors from Bob Jones Academy were largely unhurt and regrouped shortly, though Mrs. Nic vividly recalls the terror she felt while on the phone with Jonathan Kamdar, who could only say, “I’m running for my life, Mrs. Nic, I’m running.” After two hours the NSDA announced that competition could resume inside, but public outrage over the lack of sympathy and care for its competitors resulted in a cancellation of the day’s events.
Further investigation revealed that the perpetrator had no weapons and that his irrational behavior was likely drug-induced. This incident serves as a poignant example of the danger of crowd crush and widespread panic. It is also a startling reminder of the danger and perverseness of the world around us, a truth we so often forget in our “Bob Jones bubble.” In light of this horrible ordeal, we praise the Lord for the safety He provided for the Speech and Debaters and the other NSDA members, and we pray for those more negatively affected by the incident.
