On May 6, 2021, a sixth-grader entered Rigby Middle School, pulled a handgun from her backpack, and started shooting. Two students and one adult were shot before a teacher was able to disarm the student and detain her until police arrived.
During and after the attack, students were evacuated to a nearby high school where parents and guardians were able to pick them up. All of the victims suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Under the statutory mandate of the Idaho School Safety and Security program (ISSS), an after-action review of the incident was conducted. An analyst from ISSS responded to the scene within a few hours of the shooting to conduct the review. Additional staff arrived on-site later that evening following the conclusion of initial response actions.
From May 7-10, school staff assisted with recovery planning and the execution of those efforts were conducted from May 10-14. Additional intermittent coordination and support was provided through the end of the school year, according to the report.
Overall, the review determined the response by the school demonstrated the effectiveness of a planned, coordinated, trained and exercised emergency operations plan. Much of what the Jefferson County School District (JCSD) had in place for its emergency response protocols is praiseworthy. However, lessons can always be learned and there is always something that can be tweaked to improve response to future incidents.
Amy Rock Editorial LLC 