Bainbridge school superintendent stresses safety after Marysville school shooting

Published 3:11 pm Friday, October 24, 2014

Bainbridge Island School District Superintendent Faith Chapel sent a message to parents Friday in the wake of the deadly school shooting at Marysville Pilchuck High School to reassure them that the school district continues to work to improve safety at all of its schools.

The email message also noted that no activities were being canceled.

Chapel wrote:

“Our thoughts are with the Marysville community following the shooting at Marysville Pilchuck High School. While we hope to never experience such a tragic situation, we know an incident of this magnitude can happen anywhere.

“At the Bainbridge Island School District, the safety of our students is our top priority. We want to assure students, families, staff and our community that we are vigilant about student safety, and are constantly working to improve safety protocols during the school day and during school-sponsored events. At the same time, we are proactively teaching our young people the importance of empathy, kindness and respect.

“Please know that regularly scheduled activities will go forward today. We encourage you to talk with your student(s) and listen if he or she expresses anxieties about the situation in Marysville. We want them to feel safe, supported and to understand that violence is never an answer,” Chapel wrote.

Two people, including the gunman, a freshman at Marysville Pilchuck High School, were killed in the tragedy, which happened in the school’s cafeteria during the first lunch period.

The Everett Herald reported that four people were rushed to hospitals in the area after the shooting. The Herald said police reported the shooter died of a self-inflicted gunshot.