Students walkout following fatal Ingraham school shooting

Update 10:31 a.m.:

Seattle Public Schools representative Tim Robinson released a statement affirming the student’s walkout.

“Seattle Public Schools welcomes student voice. It is fully understandable that students, families and staff are deeply concerned about safety, and we recognize the increased fear and anxiety as a result of the tragic, senseless circumstance at Ingraham High School last Tuesday”

Robinson still said that students who leave class to participate in a walkout and don’t have family approval will still receive an unexcused absence

Original:

Nearly a week after a 17-year-old student was shot and killed at Ingraham High School — students are walking out of class Monday to demand action from city leaders.

Students say they’re sick of the violence and one of the Seattle Public School (SPS) Board’s student representatives, Luna Crone-Baron, tells them more police isn’t the answer.

Students decry police officers on campus following Ingraham shooting

“What I know is that the way we’re not going to be kept safe is with more police presence in schools. As we’ve seen, more police presence in schools only leads to more violence in schools,” Crone-Baron said. “We do not need more violent police officers violently bullying and harassing students in school. I will never support any policing in schools. Schools should be a place that is automatically safe, where kids are nurtured and loved, and not killed.”

The rally has three demands for the school district. The first is for the school district to increase its counseling staff to one per 200 students, with an emphasis on representing the diversity of the district in its counseling staff.

The students are also asking for an update to the city’s safe storage gun laws, and a ban on assault rifles.

Students also want increased training for SPS security on anti-racism and de-escalation.

Today we act. pic.twitter.com/G891CGJnop

— Seattle Student Union (@SeaStudentUnion) November 14, 2022

Seattle Public Schools is reviewing the actions staff took before and during the shooting, and the district says more security personnel will be at the building.

SPS Superintendent Dr. Brent Jones says he plans to form a community action team to help determine what can be immediately done to improve the safety of Seattle’s schools.

“I am ready to do the work, alongside you, to make a tragedy such as this never happens again,” said SPS Superintendent Brent Jones. “Seattle Public Schools is dedicated to providing a safe, welcoming learning environment for our students, families, educators and staff.”

Students will walk out of class at 9:50 a.m. and then march more than nine miles to Seattle City Hall to demand action, gathering around 11:30 a.m.

This is a developing story, check back in for updates.