Omaha Public Schools re-evaluating security options

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - As it always does whenever incidents like this happen, security has become a renewed focal point for OPS.

The most recent conversation comes a day after a 14-year-old student allegedly shoot another student inside Omaha Northwest High School.

Omaha Public Schools said the incident started as a confrontation.

“What we do know at this time is that there was an altercation that transpired between the two students that led to one individual pulling out a firearm and shooting another student,” said student and community services chief officer Lisa Utterback.

Utterback said they don’t have details what it was about at this time.

She said anytime an incident like this happens, the district looks at its current practices and resources to figure out if they need to do something more.

At this time only two of its alternative schools have metal detectors at their entrances.

Utterback said adding them at more schools depends on different factors.

“When you look at the size of a campus like South High School—that has probably 20 entrances to get into the building—you would have to have 20 metal detectors at every entrance because kids often will come in and out of those entrances.”

She adds since Northwest High School has portables, the potential for getting access to weapons is still there.

The district did buy metal detector wands for all of its secondary schools at the beginning of the school year.

However, they don’t use them randomly on students.

“Our schools will put a safety plan in place that may entail that when and if there is a student that has the potential to bring a weapon, part of that safety plan may be searching them with a metal detector wand,” Utterback said.

She said she doesn’t have information on if a wand was used on the accused shooter or what other security measures were used on them Tuesday.

She said Northwest students did exactly what they’ve been trained to do for lockdown protocols.

“If you are near an entrance, you want to exit the building,” she said. “You would not want students to start running to a classroom down the hallway, not knowing what you’re going to encounter. If you are a student or a staff member that’s near a classroom, you would go into that classroom that’s closest by, and then the teacher does what he or she needs to do by locking the door, turning the lights off, and then moving out of view of the door.”

OPS said the staff at Northwest had just so happened to practice those protocols the day before the shooting.

Among the safety measures they have in place are all entrances being locked and having additional security officers.

“Looking at everything we currently have in place, it matches what is happening around the country with best practices,” Utterback said.

If there are more things they need to do, they would talk with the OPS superintendent and the board of education.

OPS said when students return to class Thursday, they will be on modified schedules to allow them to have time to meet with counselors and other resources they may need.

SCHOOL THREATS

OPD investigates multiple school threats in wake of Tuesday shooting

Authorities have been investigating several threats to local schools circulating on social media — none of them credible — since Tuesday's shooting inside Northwest High School.

Ramone Jefferson has been charged as an adult. According to court documents, he admitted to shooting the 15-year-old victim, who was still hospitalized and in stable condition as of Wednesday morning.

All Wednesday classes and activities at the school were canceled. Administrators will instead focus on the staff during that time, with counselors being made available. When students return Thursday, they will be on modified schedules to allow them to have time to meet with counselors and obtain other resources they may need.

SUPPORT AVAILABLE

Students and families in need of immediate support were urged to call Safe2Help Nebraska at 1-833-980-7233 anytime day or night to get help. Staff in need of support were urged to utilize Employee Assistance Program or state Safe2Help resources as needed.