Public Safety At RI Schools 'Must Be Our Highest Priority': Gov. McKee

PROVIDENCE, RI — Gov. Dan McKee and Rhode Island school and police officials in a news conference Tuesday said they're making security changes at public schools throughout Rhode Island in the aftermath of last week's school shooting in Texas that killed 19 children and two adults.

"Public safety, and especially the safety of our children, must be our highest priority," McKee said. "The best way for us to ensure that what happened in Uvalde cannot happen here is to make serious investments in repairs and security upgrades. Rhode Island families deserve that peace of mind."

McKee said superintendents and local education leaders will conduct walkthroughs of the school facilities in their district and complete a comprehensive survey of potential emergency hazards, including reviews of doors and windows, car access, landscape features, lighting, alarm and camera systems, and communications systems.

State officials said the reports following the walkthroughs will be shared with the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) and the state School Safety Committee by June 10.

"There is nothing more important than the safety and well-being of our children," said Rhode Island State Police Col. Darnell Weaver. "The Rhode Island State Police works with state and local public safety partners to ensure that all stakeholders are trained and prepared. Most importantly, we focus on prevention through intelligence gathering, and actively engage school officials with training and conducting security assessments. We join the rest of the state in mourning all victims of gun violence."

Schools where potential hazards are found are encouraged to work with local law enforcement and their school safety teams to identify solutions to those hazards, including determining the time and cost of implementation. RIDE officials said they will authorize up to $500,000 in emergency funds for each district to make whatever additional security upgrades their school facilities need. State officials said schools will be reimbursed after the work is complete.

Last week's shooting was the deadliest at a U.S. elementary school since the Sandy Hook massacre in 2012. A lone gunman, identified by investigators as 18-year-old Salvadar Ramos, entered Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, and killed 19 children in the same fourth-grade classroom and two teachers before being killed by police. Ramos also shot and wounded his grandmother earlier that day, authorities said.