I am a 7th grader at Ames MIddle School in Ames Iowa, and I was in school about 30 minutes away from Perry High when the tragic school shooting occurred. The aftermath of this event has left our community shaken and fearful. Despite the severity of the situation, there has been only one police officer on duty for roughly half of each school day since then. This is simply not enough to ensure our safety.

The presence of trained law enforcement officers in schools can act as a deterrent to potential threats and provide immediate response if an incident does occur. However, currently, many public schools across the nation lack this crucial security measure. According to a report by the National Center for Education Statistics (2018), only 42% of public schools reported having at least one full-time or part-time sworn law enforcement officer present at least once a week during school hours.

It was absolutely devastating when I heard that a 12 year old was killed in this shooting, as well as the principal, who threw himself at the shooter in an attempt to stop him. the shooter killed himself afterwards, before the cops could arrest him. I would like to put an end to situations like this from ever happening, or at least lower the possibility. Please help me make this possible by signing this petition, and sharing it to anyone who can help.