HAMPTON ROADS, Va. — Following the incident at Richneck Elementary School, the community is leaning on each other with hopes for change.
Richneck is known to be a tight-knit community, so present and past community leaders are stepping in.
The school is providing mental health resources by providing a therapist for students and creating a 24-hour hotline for families.
Schools nearby like Macintosh Elementary School are even giving out grab-and-go meals every day from 12 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. to show their support.
Still, the former PTA president of Richneck Elementary, Brenda Coles, is encouraging parents to be more active with their children.
"You have to keep parents involved within the school system because parents need to know what's going on with their children, unfortunately, today we have too many parents who say my child won't do that. This is not true," said Coles.
One of Coles' biggest concerns is the mental health of the students who were inside the classroom during the incident.
She says if students return, they deserve a chance to be heard.
"To ensure when those children go back that they are getting what they need. Those children were traumatized that were in that classroom which is a big concern for me. Those children are traumatized," said Coles.
Richneck Elementary will stay closed through tomorrow.
