NORFOLK, Va. — Students bringing guns into schools have taken over headlines here and there throughout the Hampton Roads region.
One of the biggest headlines of the year put a major spotlight on Richneck Elementary School, where a first grader shot his teacher, Abby Zwerner, using his mother's 9mm handgun. This shooting followed the two separate shootings in Newport News, one inside Heritage High School and another in the parking lot of Menchville High School.
Shortly after the shooting at Richneck Elementary, another first grader from Little Creek Elementary School in Norfolk brought his mother's loaded handgun into the school shortly before a school employee caught it before anything bad potentially happened.
These incidents not only shocked the community and nation, but they also created an awareness that school dangers can come from anywhere and anyone.
The shootings also raised questions about security measures and the need to protect hundreds of students, teachers, and staff.
It's a big task Marc Stewart took on in his new role as Newport News Public Schools (NNPS) executive director of crisis planning and prevention.
Protecting hundreds of students, teachers and staff within a school division is not an easy task. The long-time security expert recently came out of retirement with the FBI to improve the school's safety plan.
"It's a big deal protecting anyone," Stewart told 13News Now in a sit-down interview. "We have re-written our policies that are going to be more proactive...much more proactive for the officers. They're not just going to sit and wait for something to happen. They're going to prevent things from happening."
Since the shooting at Richneck, Newport News school administrators implemented dozens of new security measures, including adding weapons detection systems in every school and requiring students to carry clear book bags. Stewart said he and school leaders also worked to add dozens of new security officers.
"We have 45 new school security officers in place that will cover every school we have and some of our admin buildings," Stewart explained. "We're also adding 10 new substitute security officers, so if somebody calls in sick, the school doesn't have to go short. And if there are problems in a particular school, we can surge more officers to that school for short period of time."
Stewart isn't the only new person leading security with NNPS. Administrators also hired Carl Murray Jr. to take over as the new director of safety and security.
Murray previously served as a school resource officer, security expert, and chief of police in different parts of Virginia and North Carolina over the last 18 years. He said his main goal for the school division is to make sure everyone agrees on the strategies to keep students safe.
"When you put the police department together, you put the school division together, the parents together, and the students together, and we're all on the same page. That's the way we can keep everybody safe because we're all on the same page about safety," Murray said.
Regarding the Little Creek Elementary incident, parents and teachers raised dozens of questions about how the child successfully got the weapon onto school property.
In February, leaders of Norfolk Public Schools announced they also implemented several new strategies for safety. Some of the changes include additional funding in the school's latest budget to hire 18 more security officers and placing weapons detection systems in all schools.
13News Now reached out to Norfolk Public Schools, but administrators were not available to speak on camera. Instead, a spokeswoman shared a letter the superintendent sent to parents.
In the letter, the superintendent said safety and security are not only a year-round effort by administrators but also a top priority for the school division. The letter adds school leaders are working closely with Norfolk police officers to monitor any and all social media posts that may pose a threat.
"All visitors to our schools are required to sign in and all volunteers must undergo a background check through the same system before volunteering," the school's website states.
The school spokeswoman said NPS has school resource officers assigned to the high schools, school security officers assigned to the secondary and K-8 schools, and three supplemental officers that respond to incidents.
Back in Newport News, Stewart said there's no single solution to keeping people safe. He said the layers of the safety measures are key.
"I want everyone to know we're going to work hard to keep it safe," said Stewart. "Not make it safe, but keep it safe."