Following the second-deadliest school shooting in U.S. history Tuesday at a Texas elementary school, New York schools are tightening security, including private Emma Willard school in Troy.
The all-girls boarding school has increased security and the Troy City Police Department is conducting extra patrols of the school. Head of School Jenny Rao says school safety has increasingly become a factor in education.
"I think these tragedies are endless, unfortunately. And I think there’s been a – I mean, there’s no question there has been an increase. Look at statistics," she said.
Tenth-grader Krisha says while security is high, she stills feels a sense of fear going to school.
“Why? I think that it's extremely saddening and why we have to live in this world/country where these sorts of things … these types of things keep happening? And it's just so saddening that we're just forced to sit down and watch this all happen," she told WAMC. "I definitely think something has to be done. And that's just - why are there people that exist like this?"
Speaking at an interstate task force on illegal guns meeting Wednesday in East Greenbush, New York Governor Kathy Hochul says she will push for a law to raise the age to legally buy a gun to 21, among other reforms, before the legislative session ends June 2nd.
“Am I supposed to just leave all the flags at half-mast? They're still at half-mast from Buffalo," she said. "No, I don't want to. So, we harness his anger."
An earlier version incorrectly named the Emma Willard student as "Trisha," not "Krisha."