TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Just two days after a school closed its campus due to a safety threat, a student brought a gun to an elementary school. Both incidents happened on Tucson's south side within the first month back to school.
Southgate Academy closed their campus earlier this week after a threat was made. The superintendent explained, “Southgate Academy immediately reported the threat to the Tucson Police Department and is fully cooperating with its investigation. It is our understanding that the Tucson Police Department is working to identify the individual responsible for the threat.”
That threat happened just one day before four people were killed in a school shooting in Georgia.
The day after that, one student at Los Niños Elementary, also on Tucson's Southside, brought a handgun with no ammunition.
The Pima County Sheriff's Department stated that the student was cited for illegally possessing a deadly weapon.
As we learn about more schools receiving threats throughout Pima County, KGUN 9’s Reyna Preciado sat down with a bilingual school psychologist.
“It's time for our community to come together and voice those concerns,” said Azucena Bravo. She said the resources are there, but it takes time to get students to share their concerns.
“When the child comes to you with that concern, that means it's been going on for a while. It doesn't just happen overnight. So building that relationship with students is very important, so that it doesn't get to that point.”
She said the same goes for parents, but explained it’s important to build community and trust.
“Schools should be our second home,” she said. If we're not feeling safe, then I think it's time to do something about it. And it's going to take the community as a whole,” said Bravo.
She offered the following as a resource for parents:
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Reyna Preciado is a reporter for KGUN 9, she joined the KGUN 9 team in July of 2022 after graduating Arizona State University. Share your story ideas with Reyna by emailing reyna.preciado@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, or Twitter.