Illinois parents worry about kids after Conn. shooting
CHICAGO — Parents are sending their children off to school with a little more anxiety than normal.
Friday's mass killing at a Connecticut elementary school had Chicagoan Melissa Tucker worrying about safety as she dropped off her 9-year-old child at Jahn Elementary Monday morning.
Tucker says she thought about keeping her child home until she learned the school would be taking extra precautions to ensure all students entering and leaving the building were where they were supposed to be and safe. She says she plans to speak to school staff later Monday.
Parent Melissa Ortega called, “I love you” to her 8-year-old daughter as the girl ran onto the Jahn Elementary schoolyard. Ortega says she grieved for the families in Connecticut.
The shooting claimed the lives of 26 people, including 20 children.
Schools throughout the state planned to have counselors available Monday to help students who might feel anxious after the Connecticut school massacre.
Chicago Public Schools says it will have grief counselors available, as needed. Champaign school superintendent Judy Wiegand says officials will be available to speak to parents who have concerns, too.
Schools around Illinois are also reviewing safety plans. School officials say they've been preparing for all types of emergencies, holding drills for tornadoes, fires and lockdown situations, which would cover a school shooting
The school shooting in Connecticut claimed the lives of 26 people, including 20 children..