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Wisconsin Attorney General talks school safety with students amid rise in threats, students voice concerns

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KENOSHA — At Harborside Academy, Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul met with Kenosha students to talk about school safety after Wisconsin schools have received over 120 tips on planned school attacks this school year.

"It shouldn't be that our kids are going to school with the mindset that they need to be prepared for a school shooter," Kaul said.

Kaul visited Harborside Academy and Bradford High School on Monday to talk directly with students and hear their concerns about school safety.

"I think fear is a natural response to these kinds of threats, but also us being told that they’re being investigated also brings me that sense of protection," said Jaylen Lissade, a Harborside High School student.

In the discussion, students were able to express how they feel about threats in their schools and what the school can do to prevent those threats and make them feel safe.

"The fact that they’re here is nice, and the fact that people are trying is nice; however, it’s not going to do anything unless we actually see change," said Makenna Zannini.

Watch: Kenosha students voice concerns after rise in school threats

Kenosha students voice concerns after school threats

Students like Zannini and Adelaide Jerry are thankful for the discussion as it is a start in the right direction, but they hope it leads to real change.

Since they are both juniors at Harborside Academy, they believe that schools should have stricter measures, such as regular locker checks, to keep students safe.

"It takes one bad day for somebody to do something absolutely outrageous, and if that person happens to have a weapon on them, it could end up being really horrible," Zannini said. "There's always going to be more we can do to ensure the safety of us and our peers."

Makenna Zannini and Adelaide Jerry
Makenna Zannini (left), and Adelaide Jerry (right). Both are juniors at Harborside Academy.

Attorney General Kaul says that the Department of Justice will continue to provide additional support to law enforcement agencies around the state.

"We are all committed to working to make our schools as safe as possible. I think we do a good job of that in Wisconsin, but there's always more we can do, and we're going to keep working to improve school safety."


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