LAKE WALES, Fla. — Lake Wales High School is focusing on students' safety and security with the addition of metal detectors next school year.
Lori Klein lived through one of the worst school massacres in U.S. history.
“If they haven’t experienced it. They will never understand the terror,” Klein said.
WATCH: Polk woman who has connection to Columbine supports Lake Wales High School's metal detectors
On April 20, 1999, Klein was volunteering at an elementary school next to Columbine High School when two students went on a shooting rampage.
“I was locked into a building with children. Using teacher’s desks, students' desks, tables to barricade us because all we could hear was gunfire, not knowing what was happening. And all we wanted to do was protect those children,” Klein said.
Twelve students and one teacher lost their lives that day.
Fast forward to 2024 when Polk County Public Schools saw an alarming increase in students making online threats to either bomb or shoot up a school. Each threat resulted in an arrest, although none of them were credible. The Polk County resident believes every threat should be taken seriously.
“We used to think that it could never happen to us, but boy, what a wake-up call. That’s not the kind of wake-up call I want anybody to ever have,” Klein said.
As an added security measure, students at Lake Wales High School will have to go through a metal detector screening starting next school year.
The school, which is part of Lake Wales Charter Schools, is following in the steps of Polk County’s school district, which added the extra security measure in its schools in 2023. Lake Wales High School administrators were not available for comment. Lt. Dale Hampton with the Lake Wales Police Department said the new measure is not due to any recent threat to the high school.
“We want parents to know that when they send their child to school, they’re going to be secure, they're going to be safe. We have school resource officers there. We take every step that we can, and we’re huge on the safety of the children. They are there for their education, so we don't want them worrying that another student has brought a weapon,” Hampton said.
In addition to an SRO on campus, Lake Wales High School installed security fences around the school. Klein said schools should implement whatever security measures are needed to ensure the campus and students remain safe.
“Something has to change, and if that’s the change that has to be made to keep our kids safe, our kids are worth that,” Klein said.
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