A Missouri radio anchor had to go live on the air to report on the St. Louis school shooting this week -- while knowing her daughter was inside the school, and being uncertain she was alive.
St. Louis-based reporter Debbie Monterrey -- who works for KMOX news -- received alarming texts from her 17-year-old, Caeli, who's a senior at the Collegiate School of Medicine and Bioscience ... notifying her there was an intruder on campus and she was hearing loud bangs.
Her texts read ... "OMG THERE’S AN INTRUDER IN THE BUILDING," while a couple others said, "OMG IT’S NOT A DRILL," and "OMG THE ALARMS ARE GOING OFF."
This was all happening while Monterrey was live on the air covering this exact incident as it was unfolding -- and she says there was actually a period of silence while she composed herself before she finally spoke again to continue her job ... keeping it together.
It sounds like she got through it, because later ... Monterrey recounted the surreal experience, saying she had to maintain her composure best she could in the moment ... adding she started crying when they cut to commercial, because she'd just learned her daughter was safe.
The 19-year-old gunman used an AR-15-style weapon to shoot and kill a student and a teacher ... while reportedly injuring seven others. He was ultimately killed by police during an exchange of gunfire.
Harris is said to have been an alum from the high school who'd graduated a year prior.