MONSE looks to combat trauma in students with laughter, support, and praise

A mass shooting near an elementary school left one man dead and seven others injured last week.

The community rallied around its students on the first day of school.

Dr. Bernard Harris Elementary in East Baltimore welcomed students through a tunnel of smiling faces, high fives, and encouraging words.

It was all part of a Praise Tunnel set up by the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement, Or MONSE, to support the kids as they process any trauma they experienced from the shooting.

"Children are affected the most by tragedies in the community. We don't really see the impact until maybe later on in their teen lives or their older lives. As they become older the trauma shows up in different ways. So, we want to combat that trauma with support, praise, laughter, and happiness," said Rick Leandry, with MONSE.

MONSE says it'll keep running support programs in the school and community over the next few months.