News
Lowellville parents want metal detector after teen shoots self in school
The parents say they want action, not excuses.
Wednesday, June 1st 2022, 12:00 AM EDT
Updated:
In Lowellville, parents showed up to ask questions about what is going to be done about school safety.
This in light of a teen who fired a gun and killed himself in the cafeteria around three weeks ago.
The parents say they want action, not excuses.
Parents in Lowellville were upset school board members discussed over a dozen issues, yet no one put school safety on tonight's agenda.
They discussed the five-year forecast, increased insurance costs, booster clubs, requirements for pushing out certain items on social media, recognized students for sports achievements, the booster club and sports uniforms.
One upset parent told the district he does not care what helmets they have period, and unless the district addresses safety measures by the new school year his kids won't be going back.
It was just three weeks ago a student fired shots in the school cafeteria.
Students fled fearing an active shooter. Parents say no one can imagine the trauma kids who witnessed this horror will face for life.
They are requesting long-term help for students who turned towards the gunfire to see what was going on and instead saw the teen shoot himself.
"I don't think anybody here has ever seen a child shoot themself in the head before. That's just the gravity of what actually happened here. So what are we going to do to make sure they're ok", asked parent Sergio Galaza.
He told the board clear backpacks would be a good start and he is in favor of using metal detectors. He understands they are not 100% effective but says an additional level of safety is needed to help make our kids feel more safe and to help protect them.
A parent and businessman offered to be part of the solution.
"We will donate whatever it takes to purchase a metal detector for this school whatever that price is we have a check. We will write it for you then you find it. There are other business owners and people I have talked with in the community who want this are are also willing to contribute," said Steve Prosick.
Prosick told the board if the district has difficulty staffing the search parents will train and volunteer to do that.
Although several parents are in favor saying it's no different than going into a court house or airport, another parents spoke out against that idea.
The man told the board he is for resiliency training, for giving government an inch. He explained that when people do give the government an inch they take more, and searches and seizures and your amendments start getting taken away.
A substitute teacher Terrance Esarco asked the board what they are doing about mental health.
Lowellville's Police Chief Rick Alli who ran towards the gunfire and was there within a minute, says he is willing to work with the district, and all parents to help make improvements in safety.
A mother explained that her daughter who was in the cafeteria is fearful a student will bring a gun into a school. She asked was it one or two weeks that the student had the gun on the Lowellville campus.
At this time Mahoning Sheriff's detectives are still working to determine questions such as where the teen got the gun, if he retrieved it from a locker or did he carry it on school grounds the day the student fired shots then shot himself.
The board president did not want to talk on camera or comment. She did express at the meeting that safety is a priority and the district has taken measures over the past few years to address safety concerns such as adding a School Resource Officer and other measures.
Parents here say the ALICE or active shooter training worked, however the school district's effort to keep guns out is not working and they want that addressed now over other issues of lesser importance.
"If there were a fire we would determine how we stop that from happening again. How do we avoid it, how do we stop someone from getting a gun in the school again? That's the question I have. That's the question I need answered by the fall," emphasized Procick.