Officers urge parents to talk to kids about staying safe, fighting back during school attacks

Police and education leaders joined together Monday night to host a panel discussion at South Garner High School as part of a national conversation about safety and threats at school.

Parents have been nervous in light of the fatal Florida high school shooting, and police have asked them to talk with their children about hiding from a school attacker or fighting for their lives if necessary.

"It is scary we have to have a conversation like that," parent Perlie Davis said.

“We actually had a student with a weapon on campus and we handled that so, coming back from the same things that happened in Florida, we’ve seen these throughout the country. School violence, potential violence, is really our highest priority,” said Capt. Joe Binns with the Garner Police Department.

The student involved in that incident was suspended from school, but some said they were upset that parents weren't notified of the incident until two days later. School leaders said they have learned from that experience.

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"We have to work in concert with the police department, with Wake County, to make sure that we are sending that message out at an appropriate time," said Garner Magnet High School Principal Carter Hillman. "We are doing everything to make sure the kids feel safe."

Binns discussed the importance of knowing what children are up to and reporting anything that seems out of place or as though it could pose a danger.

"It is not about being the rat or the tattler, it is about being the hero to some extent, and if you see something out of place, reporting it," he said.

During the Monday night forum, there was talk about emergency drills, officers in schools and policies about who is allowed to enter the school buildings. Police said parents need to talk with their kids about how to react in an emergency, even if that means fighting back against an attacker.

"The concern is great. There is so much going on," Davis said. "How do you fight for your life if someone is coming at you with an assault rifle?"