OXFORD, Mich. – Even after five months since the tragic shooting, some students still don’t feel safe being back in the school.
Parents of the students are pressuring the Oxford School District to change that.
“Theoretically, if another shooting was to happen, people would most likely die if not be severely injured,” said Oxford High School student Griffen Jones. “I hate waking up certain days because the anxiety and stress and lack of safety. It’s like we already have to go back and relive our worst nightmare every day. So, it’s really hard when it feels like my voice is being heard. No one’s voice is being heard.”
The high school junior says he has a hard time focusing in class because of reminders of what happened on November 30.
“Even something as simple as the shut of a door too hard or kids running in the class can set it off and make it hard to think,” Griffen said.
His father, Jeff Jones, is among many parents pressuring the school system to bring in an independent investigator to answer questions about how the shooting could happen, even with multiple red flags.
“We’re still looking not only for answers as to what was lacking in our school’s safety policies, But an amended plan for moving forward for moving forward and well-being of all students and staff,” said Jeff Jones.
From a student’s standpoint, Griffen Jones believes the school itself can be doing more to make students feel more comfortable.
“Metal detectors, security guards, just people to talk to,” Griffen Jones said.
“The school has been talking for three months about increasing resource officers in that school, and still today, it’s the same amount that there was on November 30,” Jeff Jones said.
Another central point of concern is the district turning down Attorney General Dana Nessel’s offer to conduct a full investigation, free of charge.
“We would absolutely love to have Dana Nessel come in and do the investigation for us,” said Griffen Jones’s mother, Andrea Jones. “We would also be willing to accept any investigation at this point. We need the answers so we can move forward.”
Nessel will be stopping in Oxford to speak with parents and students this upcoming Monday.
The district, however, is not commenting at this time.
