Santa Monica Schools Will Have Increased Patrols After Texas Shooting

SANTA MONICA, CA — Santa Monica schools will have increased patrols in response to Tuesday's school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.

At least 19 children and two adults were killed in a shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas on Tuesday, according to The Texas Tribune. The shooting sent shockwaves across the nation, marking the second-deadliest shooting at an elementary, middle or high school since the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary shooting, according to The New York Times.

The Santa Monica Police Department will increase patrols near local schools, Superintendent Ben Drati said in an email Tuesday. The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District will continue to meet with local law enforcement to review and improve preventative and proactive safety plans, Drati said.

Read More: Texas School Shooting: What We Know About Uvalde Victims

"Our hearts and thoughts go out to the families and staff of Robb Elementary School," Drati said.

The district continuously adjusts their safety plans based on the circumstances of school shootings across the country, Drati said.

"As with every other school shooting, Columbine, Sandy Hook and too many more, we will study what happened and strengthen our best practices to reduce threats," Drati said. "In SMMUSD we have worked and continue to work to harden the perimeters and entrances to elementary school campuses. By creating better defenses, we reduce the potential threat," Drati said.

Drati pointed the district community to educational resources on dealing with trauma and violence with children, including articles from the National Association of School Psychologists, National Child Traumatic Stress Network and Common Sense Media.

"Student and staff safety are our top priorities. It is our goal to engage students in schools that are safe, well-maintained and family friendly," Drati said.