Following Up on the Ingraham High School Shooting

Update:

The Seattle Police Department failed to read the room. From the Times: 

One day after a student was shot and killed inside Ingraham High School, students at a Seattle elementary school in Wallingford were subjected to armed police drills taking place at a house across the street from the playground. 

Sarah Jones, the principal of John Stanford International Elementary School, alerted families Wednesday through email and said the school wasn’t notified in advance by the Seattle Police Department, which was conducting training at the home near the school. 

“Students at recess saw the officers and saw some guns,” Jones’ email said. “I immediately informed the SPS Safety and Security department so that they could have a conversation with SPD. I am sorry for any increase in trauma or anxiety that this caused in your children.”

It’s not the first time the police department’s SWAT team has done training across the street from John Stanford International. But in the past, Jones said, she was notified in advance of the exercise.

 SPS says they were not aware this was going on either. 

SPD says they told the school 10 days ago.

So who was notified and when? I think SPD should name names and dates and times. Beyond that, they should have read the room and RESCHEDULED. Or got another location where kids wouldn't see police officers with guns running around across the street. 

end of update.

 Apparently Superintendent Brent Jones had news at last night's Board meeting; from the Seattle Times:

Jones announced a new safety initiative at Wednesday night’s regular School Board meeting to address short- and long-term needs in school buildings. 

Seattle Public Schools, the largest district in the state with 106 schools, doesn’t have the capacity to create a tailored safety plan for each school, Jones said. But there are some standards and practices that the district can adopt. 

The district will assemble a threat and community action team, with advice from the mayor and police chief, to assess what SPS can do to improve safety at school buildings, Jones said. The district will also launch a child well-being council led by nurses, psychologists and other mental health experts.

In an interview after the board meeting, Jones talked about enacting measures outside of school to prevent gun violence, and “inside of school around social-emotional support and what are our community partners and resources we have that’s available to us to bring a whole comprehensive way to look at it.”

Frankly, it's a lot of word salad (which is what Jones does best). Why hasn't the district done any of this before if there are "standards and practices" out there?

Mayor Bruce Harrell has also weighed in:

“Seattle Public Schools students can’t learn or develop or grow to be the best versions of themselves when they have to fear for their lives,” Harrell said.

“Our schools have to be the highest safe havens for our youths, for our teachers, for our families.”

Harrell also called for the state to lift a law prohibiting cities from implementing their own gun policies.

The Times also reported this information on the shooting at Ingraham High School:

A King County judge found probable cause Wednesday to hold a 14-year-old boy in juvenile detention on suspicion of premeditated first-degree murder in a fatal shooting the day before at Ingraham High School.

The other, a 15-year-old boy, is suspected of rendering criminal assistance to the suspected shooter and unlawfully possessing a gun.

The police suspect the 15-year old brought the gun to school

Though the 15-year-old’s involvement is still under investigation, witnesses reported seeing him with the 14-year-old before the shooting, Kling said. Prosecutors expect to file charges against both teens Monday. The Seattle Times typically does not name juvenile suspects unless they are charged as adults.  

The 15-year old student's parents wanted him released to their custody with an ankle monitor.

The judge said no. 

“I’m going to let things calm down a little … and maintain the status quo for today,” she said.

I find it troubling that President Brandon Hersey has issued no public statement.

And, as I previously stated, Director Liza Rankin has said nothing on her own and Ingraham High is in her district. She did also gave the Times a quote while she was at the Board meeting:

When she heard the news of the shooting, “my stomach just dropped,” said Liza Rankin, the Seattle board member who represents the Ingraham High area. 

Rankin said preventing gun violence has been a priority for her since she was elected to the board, and she has asked PTAs and others who work in schools to promote the King County Lock It Up program, which provides resources and support to store guns safely. 

Weird how both Hersey and Rankin waited for the media to come to them before saying anything publicly on their own. But maybe waiting for the media got them both IN the media.

From State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Chris Reykdal: