SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — It was a terrifying day for students, teachers and parents at a Scottsdale middle school after a student brought a gun to class.
It was Jan. 25 when Mountainside Middle School was placed on lockdown after the 11-year-old was found with the loaded handgun.
Parents could be seen waiting outside for the lockdown to be lifted and they could see for themselves that their child was OK.
Juliet Serrato had the same concern, only she was teaching that day.
"I was there and I couldn't do anything," Serrato said.
When the lockdown happened, Serrato said she was in her preparation period, so there were no students in her class. She decided to text her son, who is in the sixth grade at the same school, and asked where he was.
"He told me that he was in the room with the gun and I scolded him," Serrato said. "I said, 'Hey, that's not funny.' And he wrote in all caps, 'Mom, I'm scared.'"
For the next 20 minutes, Serrato said she did not hear from her son and could only think about the worst-case scenario.
“I had what I thought was a heart attack, actually, it ended up being a panic attack, I had to get checked out by the EMTs,” Serrato said.
Once she learned the lockdown was lifted and no one was hurt, she said a wave of relief flooded over her. She is grateful for how the school resource officer rushed into the classroom to help and how her son's teacher handled the situation and made sure the kids were safe.
Scottsdale Police said the 11-year-old who was reportedly armed with the gun was charged.
Still, she said she can't help but think about how much differently the day could've gone.
“I haven't been able to sleep," Serrato said. "Because I think about the fact that it was sheer luck and the grace of God that my kid is standing standing here with me today.”
That is why she decided to write a four-page letter to the superintendent and the board president of the Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) about that day and what changes she would like to see implemented.
“I beg of you to consider this thing because next time we may not be so lucky,” she read from the letter.
In the letter, Serrato wrote about what safety changes she's seen at other schools she had worked at, including a program implemented in Colorado after the Columbine tragedy-- changes she said have made schools in those areas safer. One of the programs is called CASEL.
"(CASEL) is where young children and adults use knowledge, skills and attitudes to manage emotions, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible decisions," Serrato said.
It's also known as social-emotional learning, which is a program Arizona's current superintendent of public instruction has denounced. A press release on Arizona's Department of Education website claims social-emotional learning is a "Trojan Horse" to Critical Race Theory.
Serrato argues metal detectors and clear backpacks won't fix the problem.
"This transcends politics," she said.
She also discussed a problem she's seen as a parent and teacher: social media.
"As long as kids can upload bullying onto social media instantaneously, or they can, you know, do the next TikTok challenge that tells them to eat Tide Pods, I mean, how do we combat that as parents?" Serrato said.
While she knows it's an uphill task, Serrato hopes some of these measures will be implemented so no parent or student has to go through what her school just experienced.
"We don't need this in Arizona," Serrato said. "We don't need another Columbine, we don't need it here and we have the power to prevent it."
A spokesperson with SUSD sent 12News a statement regarding Serrato's letter:
“Scottsdale Unified School District welcomes and appreciates suggestions from our students, staff, and parents as we continually work to ensure that our schools are safe and nurturing learning environments where each student can thrive.
In partnership with the Scottsdale Police Department, we continue to evaluate ways to enhance the safety and security of our school campuses.
The incident last Thursday at Mountainside was a poignant reminder that we must be vigilant with our parents, students, and staff in this shared responsibility.
In this era of social media, excessive online engagement, mimicking bad behavior, and chasing “Likes,” we must be committed to ensuring that the needs of the whole child are being met. Working together is key.”
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