I am heartbroken thinking about the innocent children involved in experiencing such tragedy. They are the whole reason I am speaking up, because no family should have to send their child to school and then wonder whether that child will come home safe or alive. When something like this happens in the friendly and welcoming community we know and love in Bend, Oregon, it shakes all of us to the core.

This is bigger than one terrible incident. It affects students, parents, teachers, school staff, and every person in the community who trusts schools to protect children. We cannot keep reacting only after tragedy and grief. We need to prevent it from happening in the first place. Our kids deserve adults who are responsible for their safety who plan ahead, communicate clearly, and take school safety seriously every single day.

I am calling on Bend-area school leaders to require a more advanced security system to be put in place in our public schools, as well as better child-parent communication opportunities. We all hear a lot about how kids aren’t even allowed to have apple watches on, and are having to put phones in bags, as well as no service/wifi in schools for children to be in contact with their parents/families during the 7 hours they are in school. We demand stronger emergency safety plans in every school, including regular reviews of safety procedures, clear family notification protocols, and transparent communication about how schools prepare for emergencies. This is not about fear for fear's sake. It is about making sure the people responsible for our children are doing everything they can to prevent chaos, respond quickly, and protect young students when seconds matter.

If you believe children should be safe at school and families deserve real answers about how schools are prepared, please sign this petition. We owe it to the children, the families, and everyone in this community to demand better before another family is left devastated.