Chicago teens determined to change gun laws, schools evaluate security after Texas shooting
CHICAGO (WLS) -- According to the Washington Post, so far in 2018 there have been more deaths from school shootings - 29 - than there have been members of the military killed - 13.
This is disheartening to the student activists who marched in Washington just two months ago, but it has also increased their determination to make a change.
The school shooting in Santa Fe, Texas is heartbreaking but not surprising to a group of teens in Brighton Park.
"I'm not surprised because nothing has been done, so there's no way to show the people that this can be prevented from happening all over again," said Diego Garcia.
Garcia and Lucy Sanchez attended the March for Our Lives rally and had hoped the shooting in Parkland, Florida, would mark a turning point.
"Hopefully our politicians, our elected officials, will realize that our lives are more important than a weapon," Sanchez said.
Most agree there's no one thing that can absolutely guarantee the safety of students. In Illinois schools are required to perform mandatory emergency drills once a year, but many wonder if that is enough.
Chicago officials said they are doing what they can to keep children out of harm's way.
A possible tragedy was averted at Harper High School Thursday when a student was caught trying to bring a gun to into the South Side school.
Mecca Bryant, 18, was charged with a felony after police said a metal detector alarmed and a gun was found in her book bag.
Wednesday a DIxon school resource officer foiled a school shooter before anyone got hurt.
Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner said Friday he wants to divert a portion of tax revenue to help hire more school security resource officers.
"We're constantly revising the training that we do. And training is always going out to the districts and to the patrol officers, including those assigned to the schools.," said Lt. Robert Stasch of the Chicago Police Department.
In Illinois schools are also required to perform mandatory emergency drills once a year.
Whitney Young High School held its active shooter drill last week. The principal there said they don't use their metal detectors every day, but rely on a "see something, say something," policy, and stress anti-bullying education.
"We talk about bullying all the time here at Whitney Young, and we have a zero tolerance against that," said Dr. Joyce Kenner, Whitney Young principal.
While some call for mandatory metal detectors in schools, whether urban, suburban or rural, school security expert Paul Timm said metal detectors alone won't necessarily stop the violence.
Chicago Public Schools said all 646 of its schools have an unarmed civilian security officer. Some of those schools - though district officials would not say how many - use metal detectors and x-ray machines as well as armed resource officers who are Chicago police officers.
