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Oxford, other Metro Detroit communities process Texas school shooting
As the Oxford community continues to heal from last year's school shooting, students and staff are grieving a Texas shooting that left 19 students and two teachers dead.
OXFORD, Mich. (FOX 2) - Less than six months after the Oxford High School shooting, students and staff are processing Tuesday's deadly school shooting in Texas.
Related: Texas authorities track school shooting threats to Michigan man
"It will be a terrible tearing of the scab moments every time they see something that reminds them of the most terrible day of their life," said Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard.
On Nov. 30, 2021, four Oxford students were killed by a classmate. This week, 19 students and two teachers were killed by an 18-year-old gunman at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.
Read: 19 children, 2 children killed in Texas school shooting
After the shooting, Oxford Superintendent Ken Weaver released a statement.
It reads in part, "Our hearts are shattered once again with the news of the school shooting in Texas where so many more precious lives have been needlessly stolen this afternoon. Our deepest condolences extend to all those who have been impacted by this horrific crime as we know, all too well, their pain. This horrific news will undoubtedly affect each of us in our community. We strongly encourage our families to limit their exposure to the news as it will be a retraumatizing trigger."
As students impacted by Oxford cope, others in Metro Detroit are also reacting to the massacre.
"I'm angry. I'm angry, and at some point I hope we are courageous enough to understand this has to stop," said Dr. RJ Weber, the assistant superintendent of Novi Community Schools.
Until that day comes, districts like Novi will continue to work closely with law enforcement to make sure their students are prepared and have a plan in place should some kind of emergency happen on their campus. That starts with educating young children about some of the difficult scenarios that are possible.
Read: Texas gunman warned online he was going to shoot up school
"One of the things students are trained to do when they exit the building is to not run straight line but to zig-zag, that is to avoid the active shooter," Weber said.
The Oakland County Sheriff's Office recently got approval for additional funding to help increase the safety measures in area schools. The sheriff says communication is also key when it comes to protecting kids and preventing future tragedies.
"Lots of times people think, 'I don't think it's serious, it's credible,' but we don't know until we know, right?" Bouchard said.
Numerous districts had an increased police presence at its schools Wednesday, including Oxford, Utica, and Monroe.
"Once we get the specifics how this (Texas school shooting) happened, how it all played out – what went right, what went terribly wrong -- then we try to learn from it and get better," Bouchard said.