Communities across the country are heavy hearted after Minneapolis school shooting
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo.(KBSI) – The Minneapolis Community is mourning and picking up the pieces today after a terrible act of violence.
It can’t be described as anything less than a parent’s worst nightmare.
Although this happened in Minneapolis, parents all over the US are heavy hearted today.
A tragic school shooting shook the community of Minneapolis yesterday that left two children dead and multiple others injured, according to local authorities.
Now, communities all over the country are showing concern.
Leslie Washington is a member of the Mom’s Demand Action group of Cape Girardeau. A group that stands against senseless acts of gun violence.
“We need action” says Washington. “You know, we need action. Like my shirt says, moms demand action for gun sense in America, and we need, we demand. We are demanding action for our children.”
She is speaking out after two children ages 8 and 10 were killed and 17 other victims injured during Mass at the Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis Minnesota according to Minneapolis police.
The shooter was identified as a 23-year-old male– Robin Westman who also shot himself. A senseless act and terrible tragedy, just one week into the school year.
Local parents share their thoughts.
Parent Matt Torbet “I have twin eight-year-old boys in third grade and to see this happening just really puts me at unease. We’ve talked to the kids about being aware of their surroundings.”
Parent Austin Huffman “It’s always so hard hearing about a tragedy like this and being a father myself. Now, you know that gut punch of hearing that news just hits extra hard and it’s a problem that layers and layers thick. There’s no one easy solution. Something that can be done in the short term is to, just heightened security in schools”
Parent Danielle Torbet “That there’s so much violence out there in the world and that things can happen, we’re just one phone call away from receiving bad news, I just can’t imagine the family members, the staff, the students that were impacted by the school shooting.”
Area school districts extending reassurance to parents as many dropped their children off this morning with a little more fear.
Statistics show that since that since 1999 the rate of US students exposed to a school shooting has tripled, showing an ongoing and growing issue.
“The legislators that are getting ready to come back into session soon, we need to hold them accountable, and we need to make sure that they understand that this is serious, and we cannot continue to let this happen in our communities” says Washington.
