KANSAS CITY, Mo. — On Wednesday, seven districts and other private schools across the Kansas City area canceled summer school classes due to a mass shooting threat that started in Blue Springs.
Parents that KSHB 41 News spoke to are frustrated and concerned about when will these threats will end.
One family with two kids in the Lee’s Summit School District say they are tired of living in fear.
“I should not have to worry about blood being shed on my math homework,” Grace, a student within the Lee’s Summit School District, said.
The fear that Grace describes, comes from a phone call from the Lee's Summit School District Wednesday morning.
Katy Bergen, the executive director of public relations for the Lee's Summit School District, left the message to families.
”We are canceling all student activities and programming as the Blue Springs Police Department and FBI investigate a possible threat related to an unspecific mass shooting,” Bergen said in the message.
Amanda, the mother of the two daughters in Lee’s Summit School District, says receiving alerts of this nature keeps her family on edge.
“ I feel very scared to trust that my kids will be safe when they are at school,” Amanda said. “I'm at the mercy of others and I don't know how to help make it better.”
Scarlet, another one of Amanda's daughters, said that this point, mass shootings and threats have become the new norm.
“At this point, I'm not really surprised," Scarlet said. "Because it’s just so often and like 'Oh, it's just another thing.'"
While at work, Amanda described how she is on edge everyday with her kids in school.
“It's awful that you have to plan. It's awful that my kids have to plan escapes from each classroom," Amanda said. "You know in their head they're thinking if someone comes in here, which stairwell are we going to take? Or where is a good place to hide?"
Scarlet, who is about to enter high school, says its nerve wrecking to think about being apart of a bigger population of students.
“There are new people to meet and a new school," Scarlet said. "And there's more people, so there's a higher chance to get shot."
The sisters said that these type of threats are a constant reminder of the reality for students today.
“You can't have that future or college plan if you aren’t going to survive to next period,” Grace said.
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