The shock and grief that followed the deadly shooting at Chardon High School in Ohio are understandable. While the emotions are especially acute in the community where the event occurred, parents everywhere rightly share those emotions, and the worries they provoke. The central question the tragedy prompts is universal and frightening. Could something like this happen to my son or to my daughter at his or her school?
There is no ready or satisfactory answer. The violent act that left three dead and two wounded is so random and inexplicable that the motive behind it defies quick explanation. The only immediate responses, then, are to comfort the grieving, to provide emotional support to those most affected by the spree and to re-evaluate programs put in place to prepare for the possibility of similar incidents. In the aftermath of violence, the latter is especially important for other school systems across the nation.
It seems evident that the rampage in Ohio could have been worse. Students at the school reacted to the violence as they had been instructed during mandated incident/lockdown drills. Teachers and other administrators fulfilled their roles as protectors and guardians. A coordinated response by law enforcement agencies and emergency personnel expedited care of the wounded, capture of the alleged assailant and joyful reunions of students and parents. In the aftermath of tragedy, not much more could be asked.
Parents of schoolchildren here should be able to take some comfort from such an accounting. Programs and plans similar to those at Chardon High School are in place in Hamilton County's schools, according to Frank Bilbrey, safety compliance inspector for the system. Every school is required to have at least one intruder drill annually; many schedule more. Such practice pays off. The lockdown system has worked well, officials say, in the fortunately few times when events inside a school here have required such action.
Students take an active role in thwarting the possibility of violence, as well. In several instances here, it is a student who has told a teacher, an administrator or a School Resource Officer about the presence of a weapon or about a threat of violence. That's helped prevent a major incident here. It also underscores the value of carefully nurturing an atmosphere of mutual trust between adults and students in a school setting. The benefits of the latter would be difficult to overestimate.
There is no way, of course, to totally prevent a student or someone else from bringing a weapon onto a school campus and wreaking violence in a society where guns are ubiquitous and, thus, too easily obtained. The nation has learned that to its repeated sorrow. Monday in Ohio is another reminder that despite the best intentions and practices, safety and security in the nation's schools are sometimes more elusive than we would wish.