MILWAUKEE — No one knows the pain in Madison right now better than those who have lost a loved one in a school shooting.
Max Schachter’s 14-year-old son, Alex was killed in the school massacre in Parkland, Florida. It was Valentine’s Day 2018. 14 students and three staff members were killed.
“The most difficult speech I ever wrote was writing Alex’s eulogy,” Schachter told Wisconsin’s Midday News. “Losing Alex in the middle of a mass murder, there is nothing worse in life than losing your child.”
Schachter has been on a mission ever since to make schools across the country safer. He teamed up with the Wisconsin Department of Justice and called on lawmakers to fund the state’s Office of School Safety in 2023.
“I have a close relationship with the folks in Wisconsin and their OSS and I know the heartache the families are experiencing now,” Schachter said. “I’m hoping that out of tragedy comes progress and that Wisconsin enacts common sense school safety legislation that we know saves lives.”
Trish Kilpin is the Executive Director of Wisconsin’s Office of School Safety. She’s worked with Schachter personally. During a separate interview with Wisconsin’s Midday News, Kilpin said he means everything to the work her office is doing to keep students safe.
“Max has committed himself to bringing school safety best practices to our nation and being an advocate. He flew here to Wisconsin and went with me to legislative offices to help them understand why it’s important that we prioritize school safety,” Kilpin explained.
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Schachter formed the non-profit “Safe Schools for Alex” after his son was murdered during English class at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. He said shootings like the one at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison on Monday are not surprises.
“These are preventable acts of violence. These individuals who perpetrate this don’t just wake up one morning and say I’m gonna become a mass murderer. They all exhibit concerning behavior ahead of time,” Schachter said.
Kilpin agrees. “All of the school shooters have planned this in advance. This isn’t just a snap decision,” she said.
That’s why Schachter stresses it’s so important to educate school staff, students, and the community on ways to identify concerning behavior.
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