The Oct. 6 shooting at Timberview High School led to many panicked parents trying to contact their children. The stream of calls overloaded the cell towers at some point, and calls stopped going through, creating more anxiety for parents. After the tension and the fear came feelings of relief to find that the school authorities and law enforcement agencies contained the danger.
Parents with children at the school have expressed relief that the situation did not get worse. One mom, Stephanie Wade, told CBS 11 News that she is thankful to have her daughter back. “Today could have ended so much differently than what it did. When you wake up in the morning, you think it’s going to be one way, it ends up being a completely different way, ” she said. “You never know when it’s going to be your last day. So I’m very thankful to have my daughter with me,” she continued.
After the shooting that resulted in three students and a 25-year-old teacher being injured, classrooms were barricaded as part of the safety plan authorities implemented. During this time, students hid under desks and sent terrified messages to their parents.
Mansfield ISD Superintendent Dr. Kimberley Cantu said that the tragedy is one that community members never want to experience. She also said that the incident that occurred at Timberview High impacted the entire Mansfield district.
The statement reads, “This tragedy is something that we never wanted to see in our community. And although this crisis occurred at one campus — Timberview High — because we are all so connected, it’s impacted our entire Mansfield ISD family. We know parents and guardians entrust their loved ones to our care, and the safety and security of our students and staff is always our top priority.”