School leaders in Hillsboro are looking to reassure high school communities affected by weekend gun violence that killed one student and injured another.
A 17-year-old Hillsboro High School student was fatally shot and a student at Liberty High sustained less serious injuries at a party over the weekend. Hillsboro Superintendent Travis Reiman acknowledged that what happens off-campus can have a big impact on school communities. Reiman said school counselors met with family members Sunday on what he called an emotional day for school staff.
Hillsboro took steps to respond on four high school campuses, including adding police to supplement the resource officers already at schools. The district also sent in its “flight team,” a group of school administrators and counselors who respond to tragic and traumatizing events affecting Hillsboro schools.
“We’re wrapping our arms around our students in school, and we’d encourage our families to wrap your arms around students at home,” Reiman said.
Reiman cited the ongoing investigation when declining to comment on who the assailant was.
Without commenting on the weekend incident, Reiman advised parents to monitor their children’s social circles, in-person and online. He warned of “pathways to violence,” which can include getting involved with gangs or white supremacist groups.
“As a school district, we can’t control what happens outside of our schools — we can’t control what happens on the weekend,” Reimer said. “But I want the community to know that we’re here to keep our students safe.”