CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police said it is increasing patrols and zone checks around elementary schools in the aftermath of Tuesday's mass shooting that killed 21 people, including 19 children, at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.
CMPD said its increased presence is a precautionary measure to engage with school administrators and communities surrounding elementary schools in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools district.
The Texas Department of Public Safety said the gunman barricaded himself inside a single classroom and "began shooting anyone that was in his way." Law enforcement officers eventually broke into the classroom and killed the gunman while other responding officers broke windows to allow students and teachers to escape.
CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings tweeted Wednesday that his thoughts and prayers are with the victims, families and officers in Texas.
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and families from Robb Elementary School who were impacted by this senseless act of violence yesterday," CMPD said in a statement.
Joy Granetz, a clinical child psychologist in Charlotte, said the first step for parents is making sure they take the time to process their own emotions so that they're in the right mental space to help their children.
The expectation is that different ages will handle their emotions differently.
"Sometimes kids, they might think this is probably going to happen as opposed to the possibility of it happening and trying to help talk to kids about that," Granetz said.
CMS sent out an email to families saying the district is listening to students on ways to keep them safe, reassuring students they are safe, and including a list of resources to talk about the tragedy.
Young students can absorb anxiety and pain from what’s happening in the world around them.
The school shooting in Texas is no exception.
“Seeing this in the news is immediately traumatizing," Asher Fazal, a Hough High School Senior, said. "It brings up a lot of feelings that we have because I mean, us at Hough we've experienced threats to the school, we've experienced lockdowns."
Fazal’s passion includes giving students a safe place to talk about things that impact their mental health.
“It's about opening conversations, but more about just self-help mental health and connecting with others in ways that we usually don't find resources that can help us when we're going through tough times," Fazal said.
Fazal said outside events like school shootings can cause him to question his own well-being in school. Fazal is part of a mental health club -- Sources of Strength -- to get him through any crisis.
“The club is really incredible for us to kind of take a moment to come together as a group, and pause and reflect and really, I think the most impactful thing is just having a teacher or student, come up to you and ask, like, 'How do you really feel in this moment,'" he said.
He often takes concerns to his school counselor Dana Woolard.
"I definitely think that they carry the weight of what's going on in the world," Woolard said. "And that goes on, and that impacts them when they're in school and in how they do academically."
CMS sent a note to parents that read in part, “We recognize that many students will come to school today needing reassurance, while others will have no knowledge of what has occurred. Our staff members have experience responding to students with different needs in many situations.”
CMS also sent an email out to staff about mental health resources.
According to CMS, Parents can contact school staff if they notice disturbing changes in behavior or think their children may need mental or emotional support for any reason.
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