Auto-correct caused "gunna" to be "gunman" (ABCNews)

The auto-correct feature on the iPhone and other smartphones can be extremely useful. Occasionally it can lead to embarrassment and mayhem, as was the case at a Georgia high school yesterday.

"Gunna be at West Hall Today" was what a student at Lanier Technical College meant to type and send, but auto-correct changed the first word to "gunman." The message went out as:  "Gunman be at West Hall Today."

Understandably, the recipient of the text message informed the police upon receiving the message. Authorities placed West Hall High School and an additional middle school in the area on lockdown.

After tracking down the sender and discovering the auto-correct issue, the lockdown was lifted a couple of hours later.

There are no details on what type of phone was used to send the message, but we haven't been able to recreate the issue on an iPhone or Android 4.0 phone. Auto-correct on most smartphones adapts to the typing habits of the user, however.

The mishap comes after a school shooting at Chardon High School in Ohio, where three students were killed.

The lesson? Always proofread before you hit send.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.