Remembering Kayla Rolland

 

The girl in this photo was 6-year-old Kayla Rolland.

Kayla was shot and killed in her elementary school in February 2000--almost 23 years ago. I keep hearing and seeing that what happened at Richneck Elementary school in Newport News is "unprecedented." And hearing it from those who should know better. 6-year-old used mother's gun to shoot 'hero' Newport News teacher, police say

Some are saying the world is traumatized right now because of what happened at Richneck Elementary school. But they'll forget. Just like everyone has forgotten Kayla. The 6-year-old who shot Kayla had told her the day before that he would shoot her if she didn't kiss him. He made good on that promise (known as "leakage") the very next day when he came to school armed with a knife and gun. 

Were the parents charged? The boy was living in a crack house with his 8-year-old brother and crack-dealing 19-year-old uncle because the mom was a homeless drug addict and the father was in jail. The uncle was charged and served a small amount of jail time; it was his gun the boy used to murder Kayla. Kids like Kayla are why I do this. I don't forget.

While I can understand the world forgetting, since it is soon off of the news cycle, those tasked with keeping our children safe in school should know these things. We learn from past shootings--or, we should be learning from them. Law enforcement and school officials should know what has gone on before and what is happening to this day. There are too many resources out there to not know. 

Setting up a Google Alert for "student took gun to school" will show how, almost every day, and sometimes multiple times a day, loaded guns are found in many schools. And many of those times are in elementary schools. Second graders seem especially enamored with guns and take them to school. There have been instances this school year of 4-year-olds taking loaded guns to school. We should be paying attention. Elementary schools are not immune to gun violence as we have seen, and they are not immune from kids taking loaded guns to school. The boy in the news article above shot his teacher around 2 o'clock in the afternoon--meaning he had that loaded gun with him all day long. In a press conference, Police Chief Drew stated that there were more bullets in the gun. It could've been a lot worse. 

This starts in the home, of course. Too many parents are negligent with their firearms. Some say they have to keep the guns handy "in case of emergency" and for their safety. Domestic violence is reason given for some to have guns. Owners say it would take too much time to go to a room and unlock a gun, go to another locked case for the ammo, load the gun, etc. They say "By then I'd be dead." These kids don't live in Mayberry. Many live in crime-ridden, violent areas with high drug use. Some of these kids live in homes where drugs and guns are their normal. 

Kids like Kayla are why I do this. I don't forget. We need to keep remembering kids like Kayla, and do better. In the almost 23 years since Kayla was murdered, school violence is getting worse. Who will be the next Kayla? 

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Content copyright © Julie Clark 2023. Please seek permission to use material from this blog.

Heritage High School shooting

 On September 20, 2021, 15-year-old Jacari Taylor shot two students; one on purpose, one hit accidentally. Reports have said there were approximately 100 students in the hallway at the time of the shooting so it is a miracle that no one else was injured in the shooting. The shooting took place at Heritage High School in Newport News, Virginia. Daily Press article with video of the shooting; viewer discretion is advised

This was not Taylor's first shooting; he was attending school wearing a monitoring device while awaiting sentencing for a shooting he committed when he was 14-year-old. 

I have some questions about why this student was attending school with apparently no close monitoring of him and his movements in the school. I have questions about why he was not searched each day, or why he was not made to go through a metal detector, or be wanded upon entry into the school each day.

I wonder, too, about the threat assessment at the school. Per laws on the books in Virginia, "Each division superintendent shall establish, for each school, a threat assessment team that shall include persons with expertise in counseling, instruction, school administration, and law enforcement. Threat assessment teams may be established to serve one or more schools as determined by the division superintendent. Each team shall (i) provide guidance to students, faculty, and staff regarding recognition of threatening or aberrant behavior that may represent a threat to the community, school, or self; (ii) identify members of the school community to whom threatening behavior should be reported; and (iii) implement policies adopted by the local school board pursuant to subsection A." Threat assessment in Virginia 

Threat assessment teams and committee oversight

The student, Jacari Taylor, was in school wearing a monitoring device while awaiting sentencing for a different gun crime. Where was the threat assessment team at this school? What were the plans made for this student, in order to keep students and staff safe? Thus far, no answers are forthcoming. I will update when I receive some answers. 

For parents who still have kids in school, it would be a good idea to ask what kind of plans are in place to monitor any students who are attending school, with or without ankle monitors, who have been convicted of violent crimes. Due to privacy rights, you likely won't be told exactly who the violent students are (but many in the school community know), or just what plans are in place...but they can likely give general answers. If no answers are forthcoming, at least school officials are aware that parents are informed and that may impel them to formulate plans, or be more diligent in following the plans they may have.

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Content copyright © J Clark 2022. Please seek permission to use material from this blog.