Local parents react to school threats across the Kansas City metro

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — More threats of violence were made on Friday, September 13 in the Kansas City metro area, bringing the number of confirmed threats to more than 60 since September 9.

One parent said that he’s noticed more threats being reported.

“All across the metro, it’s across both sides of the state line,” Jeremiah Estes said.

“It’s becoming a problem across the nation, but we need to focus here at home.”

On Friday, police responded to threats in Belton and Independence, Estes says that the world has changed since he was in school.

“My dad gave me the key to the gun cabinet. [He said] ‘Hey if somebody comes through that door, you know what to do.’ Nowadays? You can’t,” Estes said.

We asked him if Estes had concerns about his kids attending school, to which he said that he was confident in his district’s security measures.

“I thought about not taking them to school, but then I’ve seen the presence at the school. You know, you’ll never feel 100 percent safe. You never will in that scenario,” he responded.

Amanda Davis with the Crittendon Children’s Center said that as a parent, her first thought when hearing of a threat would be to start making calls to check on her children.

“Before I even do that, though,” she said.

“I am going to check myself and make sure I’m in a calm space and ready to have that conversation because it is anxiety-provoking as a parent.”

She said that calming down can be a challenge, but that walking or exercising can help.

“Physical activity is fantastic for getting some of that extra energy out so that your brain can really focus on thinking, and it’s not being hijacked by kind of that fight or flight response,” she explained.

Davis had recommendations for students as well, encouraging them to be open and honest about their fears and concerns. Especially with teenagers, Davis said students may try to deal with their emotions by themselves.

“This is legitimately one of those times where you need a little support. So, make sure an adult that you trust knows that you’re worried about this.”

She mentioned that asking school personnel about their safety measures can calm some of your student’s concerns.

“There may be [safety measures] that students aren’t even aware of that could be something that might help you feel better.”

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