Yakima mom on shooting: 'I'm thinking this could be my child, my baby'
YAKIMA, Wash. -- It doesn't matter how far we are away from something like the Connecticut massacre, it hits us close to home. That's definitely the case here in Yakima. The kids might wonder why they're getting hugged a little more tonight.
A mother's love grew stronger Friday. Each new detail, each new picture, chills mother Pita Martinez.
"I'm just wow, so heartbroken," said Pita.
A mother of two, across the country from the violence, yet so close to those suffering in Connecticut.
Her son, Sean, 8 years old is in elementary school.
"I'm thinking this could be my child, my baby," said Pita.
Tears filled eyes across our valley. Melissa Montgomery is mom to a kindergartner in Union Gap. A school known for its security. It has more than 60 surveillance cameras and each door is locked, with the exception of the front door leading into the office. That door requires an ID and name tag before entering the school.
Still, Melissa can't help but let fear creep in.
"I want to hold him in bed with me now," said Melissa. "I don't even want him to come.
Pita, too, struggled with fear and a harsh reality.
"These are things that no matter how safe school it, you just can't prevent it," said Pita. "who would have known? It could happen...anywhere."
The Yakima School District issued a statement expressing sympathy for the families in Connecticut.
A mother's love grew stronger Friday. Each new detail, each new picture, chills mother Pita Martinez.
"I'm just wow, so heartbroken," said Pita.
A mother of two, across the country from the violence, yet so close to those suffering in Connecticut.
Her son, Sean, 8 years old is in elementary school.
"I'm thinking this could be my child, my baby," said Pita.
Tears filled eyes across our valley. Melissa Montgomery is mom to a kindergartner in Union Gap. A school known for its security. It has more than 60 surveillance cameras and each door is locked, with the exception of the front door leading into the office. That door requires an ID and name tag before entering the school.
Still, Melissa can't help but let fear creep in.
"I want to hold him in bed with me now," said Melissa. "I don't even want him to come.
Pita, too, struggled with fear and a harsh reality.
"These are things that no matter how safe school it, you just can't prevent it," said Pita. "who would have known? It could happen...anywhere."
The Yakima School District issued a statement expressing sympathy for the families in Connecticut.
These people never attack a gun shop or police station because they know they would not get very far. The Supervisors and staff of these schools SHOULD be armed if they choose too. I think many teachers would volunteer to be armed, even if they had to pay to go to a basic weapons training class at there own expense. WE need to CALL our Schools and demand staff be allowed to carry there weapons. And if they say the laws don't allow , WE THE PEOPLE CAN GET THINGS CHANGED. More weapons means LESS CRIME.
if the adults had been carrying guns, this guy would have killed his mom, went to the school and been killed. but instead we will implimant more restrictions and let the bad guys be the only armed ones.
Unfortunately, she could be right. Due to Mexican gang crime, Yakima has one of the highest murder rates in the US. NYC is about 4.6 or 4.8 per 100,000. Chicago is about 5.4 or so. Yakima as of 2010, the last year FBI data is available, is 10 per 100,000. Keeping up with the news shows and internet coverage, almost all of it is due to gangs, which need to be totally eradicated. Unless they are shut down, it will continue to get worse.