While the details of today’s mass shooting at a Connecticut elementary school emerge, local officials have expressed condolences to all those affected.
Montgomery County Public Schools pointed to the system’s emergency preparedness procedures, which are rehearsed and reviewed on a regular basis.
MCPS spokeswoman Gboyinde Onijala said each school has a total of four scenario based drills a year based on a weather event, community incident, hazardous materials and lockdown situation.
Montgomery County Police Department officers were detailed to county elementary schools this afternoon.
Meanwhile, County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) released the following statement:
Our thoughts and prayers go out to all the families touched by the senseless slaughter perpetrated today at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.
Such violence directed toward anyone is unspeakable – aimed at little children all the more so. There is no point in trying to make sense of it for it makes no sense.
Ralph Waldo Emerson once said ‘we find delight in the beauty and happiness of children that makes the heart too big for the body.’ Tonight, though, hearts are broken into pieces in Newtown, in Montgomery County, and all across America. Some will take a long time to mend. Some never will.
And so we pray, we mourn, and we try to figure what we can do to make sure our classrooms resound to the sounds of laughter and learning, not tragic consequences.
Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D) also released a statement:
My thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families of this tragedy. The entire nation stands with the community of Newtown. Today is a day for mourning and prayer, but we must immediately get to work to end these senseless, mass killings of innocent Americans. Together, we must act now to stop the carnage.
