OLATHE, Kan. — On Monday, students returned to school after three people were injured in a shooting at Olathe East High School on Friday.
School staff said there were pastors, counselors and even backup substitutes so teachers could step in and out.
Staff said if students were there, they were going to be cared for how they needed to be cared for.
Olathe East students said it was a warm welcome back.
“There was a lot of support there for us, support dogs, a bunch of people to talk to if we needed it,” one student told KSHB 41 News.
The adults say it was a sense of relief in many ways.
“Pretty much, for most of the parents [it was] a sigh of relief," Brian Connel, an Olathe school board member said. "Okay we got through that first day."
It was a relief that the three people involved are alive and relief that teachers and students could be back together, despite how hard it may be for parents and students to get to that point.
“He’s really nervous,” one parent told KSHB 41 News. “I’m nervous too.”
Another student reflected on the mentality they had while going back to school.
“Just keep your head up and think about everybody’s things that could have gone wrong and it didn’t and just think positive,” one student said.
For Kiyley Carpenter, a sophomore at Olathe East High School, the day was not without a fight.
“It was a little bit hard for me to go through that motion [of] 'Hey, you can speak about this if you want,'” Carpenter said.
KSHB 41 spoke with Carpenter on Friday, moments after she and her grandmother reunited.
“It was a little bit overwhelming for me today, they shut the door and it was right back to Friday for me,” she said.
Carpenter and her grandmother agreed she’ll go back to school tomorrow.
