Students prep for first week of school amid fears following deadly U.S. shootings

Students are heading into the first week of school amid safety concerns following a series of deadly mass shootings across the United States.

“My fears are just not knowing if I will come home to my family or not knowing if I will ever see them again,” says Seaside High Sophomore Quetzalli Garcia.

She and her friend, Mya Asante, attended Seaside High in February when consecutive lockdowns were in place following reports of a teen with a gun on campus.

The fear of a possible active shooter on campus now emphasized following deadly mass shootings across the United States.

“You never really think it’s gonna happen to your school until it happens,” says Asante. “I think people just need to be more aware or more cautious of their surroundings.”

Seaside High’s lockdown incident involved a teen who Seaside Police say fired a gun at the school.

This took place after an altercation with three male students.

No one was hurt, but the school was placed on lockdown, Asante and Garcia said they had to wait two hours before the lockdown was finally lifted.

“We usually don’t see much of that at our school,” says Garcia.

Asante adds the uncertainty of that day of the lockdown is not something she wants to go through again.

She says she’s fearful the next time she has to go through one may be more serious and possibly related to a mass shooting.