Police Hear ‘Gunshots,’ Make Dramatic Entrance at School

It was only a play, but someone forgot to tell that to the Police Department.

So when an officer driving on Ross Street heard the sound of gunshots coming from the direction of nearby Willard Intermediate School about 7 p.m. Tuesday, he called for police backups as he moved in. Residents also heard the shots and called police.

More police arrived and sealed off the area as a police helicopter circled overhead.

Meanwhile, at the school, members of a local church were performing a play, “Rumors,” with an anti-gang and anti-drug message. The script calls for the firing of a gun, loaded with blanks.

It didn’t call for police officers to arrive from all directions.

“They came in from all over the place,” said Gloria Gonzales, the wife of the church pastor. The surprised audience was “wondering what was going on.”

The Rev. Enrique Gonzales pastor of On Fire Ministries, said, “We were showing a re-enactment of a drug deal and used the gun to get everyone’s attention. It looks like we got more attention than we wanted.”

Lt. Robert Helton said Wednesday that police “were not pre-warned. We had no knowledge that this play was taking place. We always respond to these calls very cautiously.”

Police don’t plan to fine or cite anyone, he said.

The pastor said the play is the story of a family with three children, one of which is involved in gangs and on drugs. “It’s a play about what is basically going on out there in the world,” he said. “We are performing it to encourage people to come to church. We were trying to do something good. It’s a spiritual play.”

The church has been using the school on a regular basis to hold its Sunday worship service and Wednesday night Bible studies through an agreement with the Santa Ana Unified School District.

“We’ve never had a problem with this group,” said Gaylen Freeman, assistant school superintendent of business services. “However, if we had known that the play was going to involve a weapon being fired, we would not have permitted it.”

Gonzales said he regrets not telling the district--or police--about the gunshots and was embarrassed by the commotion. “We were really in shock when we saw all of the officers,” he said.