The Voice Australia star Xanthe Campbell recalls her terrifying ordeal during a school shooting while she was a student in the USA
Rising The Voice Australia star Xanthe Campbell has revealed her terrifying experience during a school shooting in the USA.
The incident occurred when the talented singer, now 17, was attending a high school in Chicago, Illinois.
A student had brought a weapon into a classroom and Xanthe heard shots before the school went into a hard lockdown, leaving her dazed and nervous according to TV Week.
Lucky escape: Rising star on The Voice Australia, 17-year-old Xanthe Campbell (pictured) has told of her terrifying experience during a school shooting in the USA
‘I wasn’t aware of what was happening until I heard police yelling outside,’ Xanthe remembered.
Now in Year 12 and currently attending a high school in Dickson, Canberra, Xanthe said the experience made her aware of how desensitised to guns the experience had made her.
‘It was almost normal to have a hard lockdown,’ she said.
‘The experience shaped how I see these problems from a different perspective now, and how I remain grateful for my safety.’
Grateful for her safety: Xanthe was living in the USA with her parents when the incident occurred and the family moved back to Australia soon after
Xanthe lived in the USA for five years with her family. The gun incident occurred just before they were scheduled to return.
While in the USA Xanthe auditioned for America’s Got Talent, but never made it onto the show.
Xanthe’s decision to audition for The Voice Australia was totally spontaneous. She only just made the deadline, applying in the last hour before cut-off.
Tragedy: Police seen here investigate after a security guard was shot outside a Chicago high school in 2021- there were 222 shootings in American schools last year alone – a record
The news comes after The Voice Australia coaches reportedly banded together to demand equal salaries from Channel Seven ‘in excess of $1million each’, should the same panel return for the 2023 season.
According to Woman’s Day, Guy Sebastian has spearheaded the union of coaches after finding the current pay disparity to be ‘unfair’.
The trio of Sebastian, 40, Keith Urban, 54, and Rita Ora, 31, whose salaries are said to make up most of the talent budget, are lobbying on behalf of Jessica Mauboy, 32, who is rumoured to be earning the ‘lowest’ amount.
Controversy: The Voice Australia coaches – left to right Rita Ora, Guy Sebastian, Keith Urban and Jessica Mauboy – have recently banded together to seek equal pay
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