Local superintendent and survivor of school shooting speaks out

Published: Sep 04, 2024 Duration: 00:03:22 Category: News & Politics

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CONCERNS ONCE AGAIN ABOUT SCHOOL SAFETY INCLUDING HERE IN THE CAPITAL REGION. A LOCAL SUPERINTENDENT KNOWS ALL TOO WELL THE HORRORS OF A SCHOOL SHOOTING. CBS 6 BRIANA SUPARDI SPOKE WITH GREENEVILLE SUPERINTENDENT MICHAEL BENNETT, WHO SURVIVED THE SCHOOL SHOOTING IN EAST GREENBUSH 20 YEARS AGO, AND BREE IS LIVE FOR US NOW WITH MORE ON WHAT HE HAD TO SAY. BREE >>GOOD EVENING. LIZ. GREENEVILLE SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT MICHAEL BENNETT WAS A TEACHER HERE AT COLUMBIA HIGH SCHOOL IN 2004, WHEN HE WAS SHOT IN A SCHOOL SHOOTING. HE SURVIVED, AND HE SAYS IT'S THAT EXPERIENCE THAT HAS SHAPED HIS APPROACH TO PROTECTING HIS STUDENTS AND STAFF TODAY. NOW TODAY'S SCHOOL SHOOTING IN GEORGIA COMES JUST A DAY BEFORE THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL FOR HIS DISTRICT, LEAVING HIM AND MANY OTHERS ON EDGE. >>WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A A CAMPUS FULL OF FACULTY AND STAFF READY TO START OUR SCHOOL DAY TOMORROW. KIDS COMING IN EXCITED TO START THEIR SCHOOL DAY IN THE BACK OF EVERYONE'S MIND IS GOING TO BE WHAT HAPPENED TODAY. >>MICHAEL BENNETT SAYS WEDNESDAY'S TRAGEDY IN GEORGIA IS A PAINFUL REMINDER OF HOW MUCH WORK REMAINS TO BE DONE IN ENSURING SCHOOL SAFETY. ON FEBRUARY NINE, 2004, A THEN 16 YEAR OLD JOHN ROMANO WALKED INTO COLUMBIA HIGH SCHOOL WITH A SHOTGUN INTENDED TO HURT HIMSELF, BUT IN THE END, THREE SHOTS WERE FIRED, THE THIRD HITTING BENNETT, WHO WAS A TEACHER THERE AT THE TIME. 20 YEARS LATER, HE'S NOW THE SUPERINTENDENT AT THE GREENVILLE CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT. >>IT TOOK ME A LOT OF YEARS TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO HOW TO LEND MY VOICE TO MY EXPERIENCE TO TO SCHOOL SAFETY. AND IT WAS AFTER THE THE PARKLAND SHOOTING THAT I REALLY FOUND THAT. >>BENNETT IS PART OF THE ORGANIZATION PRINCIPAL RECOVERY NETWORK, A NATIONAL NETWORK OF EDUCATORS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED SCHOOL SHOOTINGS. SO WE GET TOGETHER ANNUALLY IN WASHINGTON, DC TO HELP, KEEP EYES AND KEEP FOCUS ON, YOU KNOW, THIS ISSUE BOTH AT A LOCAL AND NATIONAL LEVEL >>THERE'S A LOT THAT GOES ON WITH, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO SUPPORT SCHOOLS BEFORE, DURING AND THEN UNFORTUNATELY AFTER A SCHOOL SHOOTINGS. >>ONE PERSON WHO SHARES BENNETT'S SENSE OF URGENCY IS LORI ALHADEFF WHOSE DAUGHTER ALYSSA, WAS KILLED IN THE 2018 PARKLAND SCHOOL SHOOTING. IT'S SO PAINFUL. >>WHEN I HEARD ABOUT THE SCHOOL SHOOTING TODAY, UNFORTUNATELY, I KNOW THE PAIN THAT THE PARENTS ARE FEELING LEARNING ABOUT THEIR CHILD BEING SHOT IN SCHOOL IN NEW YORK STATE. >>ALYSSA'S LAW NAMED AFTER HER DAUGHTER, WAS SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR IN 2022. IT REQUIRES SCHOOLS TO CONSIDER THE USE OF SILENT PANIC ALARM SYSTEMS. >>IT'S SO DIFFICULT BECAUSE THESE SCHOOL SHOOTINGS CONTINUE TO HAPPEN, BUT WE NEED TO DO MORE. >>MY DREAM OF A PERFECT WORLD WOULD BE THAT PEOPLE WOULD BE ABLE TO PUT ASIDE THEIR THEIR RED OR BLUE AND JUST MAKE THIS AN ISSUE THAT WE NEED TO COME TOGETHER ON AND SUPPORT AND FIND A WAY TO AT LEAST SUPPORT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO >>BENNETT IS HOPING THAT STATE LEADERS CONSIDER THE IDEA OF HAVING FUNDS AVAILABLE FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS INTERESTED IN SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS, INCLUDING THESE FUNDS, AS PART OF A SCHOOL AID PACKAGE CURRENTLY, DISTRICTS ARE STUCK FOOTING THE BILL FOR S

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