Two Weeks After the Santa Fe High School Shooting

Santa Fe High School, which just weeks ago was the scene of a mass shooting, will soon have its graduation ceremony, and with heightened security.

The graduation ceremony for Santa Fe High School, located just south of Houston, is scheduled to take place Friday night at the school’s football field, weather permitting.

Santa Fe ISD is being secretive on exactly what security measures will be taken to ensure the safety of students and their families. There will also be no media coverage at the ceremony, but a live-stream will be available online.

On May 18^th, a 17-year-old gunman killed eight of his fellow students and two teachers inside the high school before surrendering to police. He now faces capital murder charges.

On Thursday President Donald Trump spent more than an hour visiting privately with survivors of the shooting and families of the deceased. During the visit, it’s reported that President Trump took advice from the survivors on what might be done to curb gun violence and better school security. Improved mental health services, veteran sentinels, and armed teachers are said to be among the suggestions.

Similar suggestions were discussed in a 43-page report released by Governor Greg Abbott on Wednesday, after three days’ worth of closed meetings with state officials and school administrators. The School and Firearm Safety Action Plan went into more detail, however, promising crisis response counselors to deploy immediately to Santa Fe, Texas.

The action plan also promised a one million dollar grant to Santa Fe ISD from the U.S. Department of Education. U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos quickly followed through with an announcement of the grant on Thursday, meant to help Santa Fe High School recover in the aftermath of the shooting.

Other steps outlined in the action plan include heightened school security, better training, and improvements to school infrastructure, such as installing metal detectors, to counter potential shooter threats.