Cheers pierced the air in Frederick High School. The gym was packed with fans for a JV rivalry game: Frederick versus Thomas Johnson. The two teams were battling for the upper hand on the basketball court.
Competition kept increasing as the game continued on with the players’ pride on the line. Tension was building. Outside another tension was escalating that was not part of the friendly competition in the gym. Something much darker was brewing just out the door.
A shooting.
When the words “school shooting” are mentioned in this area, people often think of the tragedies at Columbine and Sandy Hook. A short silence typically follows the schools’ names when people take time to reflect, if only for a second.
Images of the newspaper headlines and television broadcasts that covered the story creep into the people’s minds. Time has not made them forget.
Although to people in Middletown, these events seem far away. They are not personal. They are only isolated incidents, far away, and unlikely to ever happen here. It was a firm belief that this community would not join the other statistics telling the stories of tragedies. That is until February 4, 2015 when another statistic was added.
Around 8:20 p.m., two students were shot outside FHS, only miles from Middletown. Police hurried to the scene and the injured students were taken to Shock Trauma in Baltimore by helicopter.
Middletown High School assistant principal Chris Bitner said, “My wife is an administrator at TJ. She went down to the city, so I had a personal connection. This is very much an isolated incident.”
Social media become abuzz within minutes of the shooting. Pictures, videos, comments and support came flooding in over the internet. Information spread like wildfire.
MHS freshman Maddie Sheng said, “I guess Frederick must have to work on its security. Our school has a cop, Smothers, that hangs around the school. Also, you see cameras everywhere here.”
The night had started with basketball and ended in blood. People were in a state of shell shock.
The approximate 200 people at the basketball game were taken into the cafeteria and held under lockdown and for questioning immediately after the shooting. They were later released at 10:17 p.m. at Terrace bowling Lanes. The 200 people remained unharmed.
Meanwhile, the two students who were shot received medical treatment and are expected to recover from their wounds. The suspects remain unidentified.
FHS and West Frederick Middle School were closed the following day.
The shooting shattered people’s ability to remain isolated from such violent attacks. Students were forced to acknowledge that such dangerous situations can occur at places that are supposed to be considered safe environments – they can happen anywhere.
Days later at Tuscarora High School, another violent attack occurred. A class watched on as a fellow classmate attacked a teacher.
These incidents bring school security to the forefront of conversation. They make the school system ask itself how it is better able to protect its students and staff.
Although, some students believe that school security is currently adequate. Junior Emma Porter said, “We don’t need any safety measures added. It’s already safe.”
Junior Samantha Shearn seconds her opinion.
“I feel safe,” said Shearn. “We have a student resource officer. Officer Smothers just being here is good enough.”
“We have Deputy Smothers who is vigilant throughout the building. We have administration. We have the camera systems in Smothers’ office that run live. Finally, we have drills that we perform annually,” added Bitner.
Still, there is always room for improvement. One way believed to help is to increase the amount of technology and precautions set in place for school security systems. Although, technology requires money and this upcoming year the county education budget was approximately $27 million in the red before adjustments were made.
One of the newest developments in security is called School Guard Glass. It is used with the intention to delay attackers from entering a building for a minimum of four to six minutes, hopefully allowing for police and other rescue responders to reach the school before it has been broached.
This glass is lightweight enough that it is able to replace the existing glass in doors and window panes. A door sells for $1000 to $1200, including installation, making it an affordable option for a school system.
Other similar setups sell for up to $50,000 or more per door, making it a nearly impossible purchase under the current budget. School Guard Glass has a price reasonable enough to pique the interest of some schools.
This glass could be the answer to keeping attackers and intruders out of a school during the crucial moments before police and rescue personnel are able to arrive, and in an affordable fashion.
Yet, even if the glass can be purchased, the school system must decide if it is necessary. Just because it can be purchased does not mean it should be bought.
“I don’t think any precautions are excessive, but you do have to work at opportunity cost. A better option was the chrome books for student education. I don’t think our education warrants [bulletproof glass],” Bitner said.
Schools are located in very diverse areas and require diverse safety measures depending on the surrounding area and environment. Currently, Middletown High School has a variety of safety measures used to keep students and staff safe.
As for as how safe students are in the school, Bitner said, “Extremely. One, it’s a good community, and I feel safe at any building in the county.”
The school has a surveillance system to monitor inside and outside. Countless cameras are constantly recording live feeds, ready to pick up on any disturbances.
A keycard entry system is also used. School board employees each have an access badge which allows them to enter the building once they slide their badge through a slot posted beside a door.
The access badge shows a picture and gives the name of the rightful wearer to help students properly identify a person as a validated employee. This helps to prevent people from stealing badges without others noticing and being unaware.
To enter through the front door of the school, people must be granted access by the front office before the door unlocks for them. Upon entering, people must sign in as a student and give a reason for the late arrival to attendance, as an employee, or as a visitor and wear a temporary pass for admittance into the school.
Freshman Mickayla Bacorn said, “I would feel safer with more security working around more often. I would also like to see people actually use the buzzer at the door.”
Bitner would like to see people “have to go through the front office because of the ways the doors lock. With our floor plan, it is difficult, but I’d like that.”
Even if these safety measures are only ever used as a precaution, it is still a relief to know they are there and able to help protect everyone in the school. School security has come a long way.
“There wasn’t anything in place when I went to high school. I was teaching when Columbine happened. Since then, I’ve seen drastic improvement nationally and locally,” said Bitner.
In the future, one camera could save one thousand lives, so it is worth every penny.
