Arlington ISD: Lamar High School students return after shooting

“Lamar High School will be a safe environment,” said Cavazos.

On Monday, March 20, Arlington police responded after a 15-year-old sophomore used a long gun to fire into a crowd of students outside the school before classes began.

Poirier was critically injured and passed away at a local hospital, police said. A parent also rushed a 16-year-old girl to the hospital after she was hit in the face by shrapnel. 

The high school had just started back after being off for spring break. Cavazos admits feeling safe again at school will take time. 

“Safety at the school takes all of us, the community, our students, our teachers, our staff,” Cavazos said. “It takes all of us to have that sense of safety and security. And we’re doing a lot to make sure that that’s reinforced.”

Though, it was clear the shooting impacted attendance numbers Wednesday. Out of 2,444 students enrolled at Lamar High, 225 students stayed home, according to the district. On average, about 91% of the student body is usally on campus.

Dr. Susan Franks is a trauma expert and psychology professor at the University of North Texas in Fort Worth. She has done extensive studies on Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTS) and primary and secondary trauma. She’s one of the leading psychologists on counseling and therapy in the country and has participated in nationwide webinars and seminars on stress and the impact it has on families, communities and all age groups including children and students.

“You really have to do check in with your kid,” Franks said. “Each child is different when it comes to how they handle tragedy and trauma.” 

Students staying home after the deadly shooting, comes to no surprise to Franks. She urges parents to understand how their children might process something like a school shooting, especially if they witness some of the scenes or even hear about it second hand. 

“There’s no timeline on when a kid is going to feel comfortable going back to school. So, you really have to know your child, work with your child, connect with your child,” said Franks. 

After a Tuesday night vigil, outreach volunteers from New World United Methodist Church, who had an existing community relationship with the school, showed up to support students. 

Reverend Lesley Ellie Byrd at New World UMC believes part of their ministry is to make sure they are a place of trust for the students.

“As the story unraveled and we found out more, we said within the first few hours, we have to do something. We have to reach out to our neighbors to let them know that they are loved and that we’ll walk with them during this time,” Byrd said.  “So, you know, there are parents and grandparents here that are just brokenhearted. We mentor, we tutor, we spend time reading to kids and praying for them.” 

Franks also encourages parents and students to lean on outreach ministries as much as possible. She advises that parents communicate with their children as much as possible about their feelings and emotions. 

“The three things is to listen to your kids, like connect and engage. That’s the first. I mean, just listen and hear what they’re saying and feeling. Get their perspective and make yourself available for that. Don’t just be like sitting there and watching TV,” Franks said. 

“You really have to do a check in with your kid, and then you need to engage with the school to find out,” Franks continued. “Let them know what your kid is worried about, and find out what are they going to do to address those thing, so that you can come back and have a follow up conversation with your child.”

Franks also encourages parents to seek counseling if need be, especially so they don’t project their anxiety onto their children who may already be struggling with returning to normal as much as possible.

Arlington ISD will have counselors on campus at Lamar High School for as long as necessary, officials told WFAA.