(TRENTON) – Assembly Education Committee Chair Pamela Lampitt (D-Camden/Burlington) issued the following statement Friday in response to this morning’s shooting at Santa Fe High School in Texas, which killed ten people and injured ten others:
“As details continue to emerge on the tragic shooting earlier today in Santa Fe, TX, I could not be more heartbroken. My thoughts and prayers are with the entire Santa Fe High School community in the wake of this massacre.
“No child should ever fear going to school, but time after time, horrific events like this open our eyes to our sad reality. New Jersey has been at the forefront of implementing strong and effective school security policies, but we must constantly assess what more can be done to support our students, teachers, and faculty in keeping our schools safe.
“With this in mind, the Assembly and Senate recently held joint Education Committee hearings throughout the state so we could hear from the community and local officials about how to make our schools safer. These listening sessions gave us great insight into the security deficits our schools face, and what solutions we can use to improve them. This information will be used to create a package of legislation to create a safe, constructive learning environment in our schools and help prevent future tragedies.”