ASHLAND -- It was just another day at school for students in Schuylkill County, only one day after a school stabbing happened across the state near Pittsburgh. Faculty at North Schuylkill High School say the students are talking about it but don't seem too affected by the tragedy
It happened across the state, but students at North Schuylkilll Junior Senior High School are talking about the dangerous school stabbing near Pittsburgh.
"I thought about the students, obviously. I thought about the safety of schools, about the safety of our own school," said North Schuylkill senior Matt Smarkanic.
Smarkanic talked over what he would have done if he were there.
"How do you feel about the situation? How would you react?" said Smarkanic.
Schools can prepare and try to prevent incidents by setting up safety precautions, but guidance counselor Joe Tomtishen says no one can ever fully predict how a student will react in an emergency.
"Every kid would handle that differently. We would meet with a student, find out where they are emotionally. Are they angry? Are they scared or are they sad?"
Senior Jessie Steivers says it's hard to imagine that something so dangerous could ever happen somewhere she feels so safe.
"I don't feel afraid here ever, really. It's hard to think if it could happen what would people do? What would you do?"
With metal detectors put in place, students say they feel safe at school. In fact, while teachers say kids are talking about it, they don't seem too affected by the incident.
It's a much different reaction than what Tomtishen remembers during the Columbine tragedy in Colorado.
"It's not as shocking as I remember it in 1999. It's not that every incident isn't devastating. Then, it was like 'oh, man, I can't believe that this happened?' But now it's like 'oh man, where did it happen'?"