KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Olathe community came together Friday evening to take a moment to pause and reflect on a shooting that happened at Olathe East High School.
Students, staff and others gathered at the Overland Park Church of Christ.
KSHB 41 News reporter Dan Cohen reported about three dozen students and parents at the vigil.
Service underway at Overland Park Church of Christ for Olathe East families. Prayers and song filling the room. @KSHB41 pic.twitter.com/D53ELdvykD
— Dan Cohen (@DanCohenTV) March 5, 2022
Prayer and singing filled the room on a night the church opened its doors.
"Take a really big deep breath to know they’re surrounded by love and by peace and by goodness," said Taylor Penrod, Overland Park Church of Christ's community outreach pastor. "For such a time is this, we will bring hope and healing."
It was an effort to come together after an administrator, a student resource officer and a student, who is the suspect, were all injured after being shot at the school Friday morning.
"To hear those words, active shooter, it’s just gut-wrenching. [I was] sick to my stomach all day," said Laura Robertson, mother of an Olathe East student. "Olathe Schools handled it as best as they could, you have the best-laid plans, it wasn’t perfect, but they did a really good job."
Another parent described how they felt following the shooting.
"It’s been a roller coaster of emotion of a day," Shannon Haney said. "We can lift each other up and cry on each other’s shoulder. It’s huge to know that you’re not going through something like this alone."
All three victims were transported to the Overland Park Regional Medical Center.
A spokesperson for the hospital said two of the victims were released while the third remains in critical condition.
