The events at Timberview have had a large impact on students, staff, and parents alike. While everyone was affected differently by the shooting, many felt nervous and afraid during the events that occurred on October 6 at Timberview. The shooting left many confused no matter their title or position. Many parents felt helpless and scared since they were not able to communicate with their children in many instances. Lake Ridge teachers felt scared for their colleagues, family, and friends who worked at Timberview. Students were bombarded with rumors and exaggerations of what was occurring during the time period and worried for the safety of their friends and loved ones. Many Lake Ridge parents feared for their children’s safety as the uncertainty of the events unfolded. 

For many parents, fear turned to outrage due to the lack of communication they received from the district. Many parents felt as though Mansfield ISD made the situation worse than it had to be by not informing parents of the events that were happening as they were unfolding. For many the lack of communication between the district, students, staff, and parents made it difficult to separate the truth from rumors and exaggerations which made some panic due to events that had not even occurred. For Lake Ridge parent, Erlinda Edwards, the lack of communication from the district made the situation worse due to the uncertainty and rumors that revolved around the event.

“MISD could have handled it better simply by communicating.  I am sure every parent with a child at that school or any school held their breath of not knowing if their child was safe. Having a plan of action in place for a situation like this is imperative in making sure students are safe and communication is relayed correctly. I felt there were too many false stories being spread that it was misleading and frustrating,” Edwards said.

The shooting that occurred at Timberview was a wake up call for many parents, teachers, and students that Mansfield ISD is not invincible when it comes to school shootings. Many parents had to reflect on whether or not they felt comfortable continuing to send their children to school in Mansfield ISD. Lake Ridge parent, Mary Riyanto still feels safe sending her child to Mansfield ISD.

“I do feel safe sending my child to school once I knew the reasoning behind what happened. It was not a random act,” Riyanto said.

After the shooting many parents were able to reflect on their relationship with the children as well as the events that occurred during and directly after the shooting took place. After the dust settled and the truth began to come out many parents felt a sense of relief after learning that the effects of the shooting weren’t as dramatic as they eventually believed it to be, however despite the relief that many felt there were still questions and concerns they had about the shooting. Lake Ridge parent, Jacquelyn Bacchus, feels as though the shooting allowed for cracks in the district’s  safety precautions to be revealed.

“The most concerning issue for me was the fact that an armed student was easily able to enter the high school campus undetected.  Secondly, the thought that it could have been so much worse really bothers me. I think MISD tries to do a good job of keeping the students and staff safe, but there is always room for improvement. Unfortunately, this incident highlighted weaknesses in the current system. However, I feel confident that MISD will initiate an action plan to address any identified deficiencies.”

Due to the close proximity of the shooting many parents began to have open and honest conversations with their child about their safety and what to do if they ever found themselves in a school shooting. The shooting at Timberview hit close to home for many Lake Ridge parents which made some feel as though they weren’t as safe as they once thought in their own community. Tracy Howard, parent,  was able to advise her daughter on what to do if she ever found herself in a similar situation as the students at Timberview did on the sixth of October.

“As a parent, this incident was terrifying. I was so concerned about my daughter’s safety. It’s hard to describe the many emotions I experienced all at once. I pray no parent ever has to deal with this kind of situation. Honestly, I never prepared her for this, I was not prepared either. I just never expected something like this to happen. I have advised her  since the incident to follow safety protocols and to keep her phone silent,” Howard stated.

All in all the shooting at Timberview hit close to home for many Lake Ridge parents causing many to feel vulnerable and unsafe within the community and question whether or not their children are still safe and protected while they are at school.