Georgia official seeks more school safety money after Apalachee High shooting

Georgia’s state school superintendent says he wants the state to spend more money to guarantee security officers and wearable panic alert buttons after a school shooting killed four at Apalachee High School northeast of Atlanta.

Richard Woods, a Republican elected statewide, also said Monday that he wants to expand a state-sponsored program to provide mental health care to students and to better share information about threats among police, schools and other agencies.

“It is crucial that we redouble our efforts to secure our schools and protect every student in our state,” Woods said in a statement.

Woods is the second statewide leader to make proposals following the the Sept. 4 shooting at the high school in Winder. His ideas on expanding mental health care and information sharing mirror those voiced last week by Republican state House Speaker Jon Burns of Newington.

Gov. Brian Kemp has said he would review any proposals but said the investigation is still turning up new information. A spokesperson for Republican Lt. Gov Burt Jones said he is preparing a response.

Democrats have been slamming Republicans, arguing that the shooting is an outgrowth of the GOP loosening Georgia’s gun laws. Woods didn’t propose any changes to gun laws.

Teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53, and students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14, died in the shooting. Nine others were injured — seven of them shot.

Investigators say the shooting was carried out by 14-year-old Colt Gray, who has been charged as an adult with four counts of murder. Authorities charged his 54-year-old father, Colin Gray, with second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter and cruelty to children. Investigators allege Colin Gray gave his son access to a semiautomatic AR-15-style rifle when he knew the teen was a danger to himself and others.

Woods’ call for information sharing reflects the fact that Colt and his father were questioned in 2023 by a Jackson County sheriff’s deputy over an online post threatening a school shooting. Jackson County Sheriff Janis Mangum has said her office didn’t find enough evidence to bring charges. It’s unclear if Colt Gray’s earlier schools were notified about the threats.

The superintendent also said he wants to expand mental health care for students. The state’s voluntary Apex program steers students toward counseling. The program covered 540,000 of Georgia’s 1.75 million students in 2022-2023, about 31%.

The state budget that began July 1 includes more than $100 million in ongoing funding for school security, enough to provide $47,000 a year to each public school for safety. Kemp and others have said they want that money to pay for at least one security officer for each school, but local superintendents have said the cost for to pay for a school resource officer is significantly higher. Woods said he wants the state to spend more money specifically for school resource officers and alert systems, but didn’t specify how much.

Georgia Department of Education spokesperson Meghan Frick said Woods “hopes to engage in an open discussion with lawmakers and other partners to determine more specific details, including the specifics of APEX expansion and record-sharing.

Burns also said last week that he wants to examine ways to catch guns before they enter schools, increase penalties for threats against schools, and said House Republicans would again promote safe firearm storage using a tax credit.

State Democrats gained little traction on legislation that would have created a misdemeanor crime for negligently failing to secure firearms accessed by children. Rep. Michelle Au, a Johns Creek Democrat, has promised to bring back that proposal.

Article Source: APNews

Liberty University Upgrades Its Security Cameras

The Office of Security and Public Safety (OSPS) at Liberty University has completed the first phase of a major expansion of its campus video surveillance system.

The upgrades include the installation of more than 1,000 new security cameras in high traffic outdoor areas, as well as at all building entrances and exits. The video surveillance project follows the installation of call boxes in 2022 and an upgrade to Liberty University’s emergency operations and dispatch center in 2023, according to the school.

OSPS determined the camera locations by working closely with other departments on campus to evaluate crime data and crime prevention. Many of the cameras include facial recognition features, license plate readers, and other advanced detection features that will assist OSPS in identifying suspects and stolen vehicles. The manufacturer of the cameras is Avigilon, and each unit cost about $1,000.

In phases two and three, OSPS will focus on installing cameras near “commonly traversed outdoor and interior corridors, hallways, campus entrances, and garage spaces.” Liberty University estimates the project will be completed in two years or less.

Liberty University Spending $12 Million on Security Improvements

The school says it has spent more than $10 million in the past two years on upgrades to ensure safety and security on campus.

Additionally, it will be spending $2 million more on new initiatives, which are required as a result of the U.S. Department of Education’s investigation that found Liberty University violated the Clery Act and harmed sexual assault victims. As a result of the Clery Act violations, the school was fined a record $14 million this spring.

Other safety measures being implemented by Liberty University include electric scooters, skateboard locks, ballistic laminate, improved lighting, enhanced crime reporting software, and a safety app.

Article Source: Campus Safety

Maryland Teen Charged in Shooting of Classmate at Joppatowne High School

A16-year-old male student has been arrested and charged with murder for the fatal shooting of a 15-year-old boy at Joppatowne High School on Friday.

The suspect has been identified as Jaylen Prince, reports WBALTV. The victim has been identified as Warren Curtis Grant.

The incident happened just after 12:30 p.m. inside a men’s bathroom on campus. Authorities say Prince and Grant were arguing when Prince pulled a gun out of his backpack and shot Grant.

The victim was rendered aid by school nurses and then taken to a local trauma center, where he died. Local law enforcement was able to apprehend Prince only minutes after the shooting. No other suspects are believed to be involved.

Harford County Sheriff Jeff Gahler said Prince had been known to police since 2022, reports FoxBaltimore. However, what led up to the shooting is being investigated.

The suspect is being charged as an adult with first and second-degree murder; first and second degree assault; use of a firearm in the commission of a felony/crime of violence; and possession of a firearm as a minor, reports CBS News.

Joppatowne High School will be closed Monday through Wednesday, and Magnolia Middle, Magnolia Elementary, Joppatowne Elementary and Riverside Elementary schools will be closed on Monday.

Joppatowne Shooting Followed Georgia Shooting and Other Campus Gun Scares

The shooting at Joppatowne High School happened only two days after a student in Winder, Ga, shot and killed two teachers and two students at Apalachee High School.

Additionally, gun scares have happened at several schools across the nation over the past few weeks.

In Nashville, Tenn., Hillsboro High School was placed on lockdown Friday morning after a loaded weapon was found on school grounds, reports WKRN. Only a week before that, a stolen handgun, airsoft pistol, and marijuana were found when police stopped a 17-year-old student for smoking a vape pen at McGavock High School.

In late August, two Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) students were found to be carrying guns in their backpacks on campus, bringing the number of firearms found at LAUSD campuses to four since August 12, reports the Los Angeles Times.

In Charlotte, N.C., guns were brought to two different Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools in the first three days of class, reports WSOCTV.  In Phoenix on August 27, a student was arrested for having a gun at West Phoenix High School, reports ABC15.

Article Source: Campus Safety