Denver — In the aftermath of the STEM school shooting in Highlands Ranch, Colorado was again left asking “Why?”
Thursday, a new interim school safety committee met at the Colorado State Capitol to try to answer that question and potentially pass new laws to prevent the next school shooting.
At the committee hearing, STEM parents and students in the metro Denver area testified to how school violence is impacting them.
“On the afternoon of May 7th, I got the call no parent wants,” Kelley Holley, a STEM parent, testified. “Colorado is becoming an epicenter.”
Denver area student Ethan Reed tearfully told lawmakers how school violence is impacting his friends at STEM.
“A few days after the shooting he went to the doctor and was diagnosed by with survivors guilt, anxiety, PTSD and depression,” Reed said tearfully.
As for changes in policy, lawmakers heard general presentations from experts in school safety and youth health.
Research staff at the Capitol presented lawmakers laws that have passed in other states ranging from mental health requirements for student deemed threatening to school resource officer reform.
In attendance, dozens of interested stakeholders from Moms Demand Action to those who train armed school personnel.
Laura Carno is advocating for more grants to train more armed school personnel.
“So many of these schools are 30-45 minutes away from law enforcement- if God forbid the worst happens what are they going to do?” Carno said.