BY DAVE WILSON
When news broke that a potential school shooting in Jackson County had been averted by the quick-thinking of a student, bus driver and other staff, school officials in Monongalia County began evaluating how a similar situation would be handled here.
“Where are we at if this would occur right now? How would we do it? Are we doing the right things?” were a few of the questions Adam Henkins was asking when he arrived in the office that day.
Henkins serves as director of Safe Schools, Athletics and Title IX for Monongalia County Schools and has kids in the school system, making the April 6 incident hit close to home.
“Not a day goes by when I drop my own kids off at school, and you say, ‘have a good day and be safe’; you just don’t know what the day is going to bring,” Henkins said on “Talk of the Town.”
On April 6, two teenage boys were arrested after one of them pulled a gun on a Jackson County School bus in a dust up with another student. When the gun was brandished, a third student reacted by seizing the gun’s magazine and ammo. The bus driver was notified and evacuated the bus, with law enforcement quickly arriving on scene. It was later learned the teen who had brought the gun on the bus had plans to shoot somebody at Ripley Middle School.
While it is impossible to predict how someone may react in a similar situation, the worst reaction would have been no reaction at all, according to Henkins. He contended the best prevention tactic continues to be students and staff speaking up before a situation spirals out of control. Even innocuous reports, such as a scribbled message on a bathroom wall, are taken seriously.
“Whether it’s from a student to a student, from a student to a teacher or a teacher to an administrator — if you see something, say something. We move from there.”
Teachers and staff are also prepared for how to react when a situation deteriorates.
Training is provided on a variety of scenarios, covering everything from how to handle active shooter situations, to dealing with intruders in the building. By working with local law enforcement and other experts in school safety, Henkins said they are preparing students and staff as best they can to be prepared and keep the schools as safe as possible.
“We have a lot of prevention methods in motion. We have a lot of safety things in place. Your students are very safe,” said Henkins. “I send my own kids to Monongalia County Schools and I feel safe sending them there.”
