Parents in suburban Highland park are demanding additional security measures after a gun scare at a high school earlier this month.
Those parents continued to voice their concerns at a board meeting on Tuesday, expressing dismay at what they call inaction on the part of officials after a gun was brought to the school on April 4, sparking a lockdown.
Five students were taken into custody after that incident, but parents are concerned that officials aren’t taking the threat seriously.
“Enough is enough,” William Dahms said. “We don’t need a disaster. It’s time to act. Now.”
Parents are seeking metal detectors at the school, along with armed guards and other procedures. They say that the incident, along with the still-fresh memories of the July 4 parade shooting in the community last year, show a need for action.
“They are not taking this seriously,” Enrique Perez said. “They’ve done nothing, and they need to act quickly.”
Jenny Harjung says she met with her son’s counselor at the school, and walked straight into the facility without her bag being checked.
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“Who’s to say I didn’t have two, three, four guns in this purse? We have to start thinking with a worst-case mentality,” she said.
She says that she agrees with other parents who want more solutions, and that the board needs to act more quickly.
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“It’s time we start being proactive, not reactive,” she said.
