The preliminary information
is that a male student asked
to be excused from his class.
He left the classroom.
He then returned armed with
two handguns. But the school
shooting horror now
hitting home in Noblesville.
I got a call from my daughter.
OK, Yeah, OK.
How easy was it for you to be reunited?
And then on the loudspeaker they came
out and said there's an active shooter,
just take shelter.
So we went into this storage ar.
There are a lot of kids just
calling their parents and frien,
just making sure they're all ri.
And I was just there in the dar.
I was in class and they
came over the intercom.
They said that shots were
fired in 7th grade hallway.
And so we went under my teachers
desk and then one of my teachers
came out and told us to run.
So we ran.
Students evacuated the middle sl
and took buses to the high schol
where another alert sounded when
somebody sent in a threat there.
Want to get my arms around my b.
I mean, he's so shooken up.
I got a mom. I'm scared Text message.
And other than that,
it was come get me at the high school.
Selfishly, I've relieved that
my nephew is physically OK,
but they're going to be so
many scars from this that I.
I can't even imagine
May 26th marks the anniversary of a shooting
inside Noblesville West Middle School.
It was 2018 that a student
there went in and opened fire,
shooting a classmate,
Ella Whistler and also teacher,
Jason Seaman, before Seaman
wrestled the shooter to the gro.
Now, Seaman hasn't spoken publiy
about the violence in his
classroom for several years now,
but he did sit down with 13 News
to reflect on his experience.
In my mind, it's the same story,
just different characters,
and not a lot is changing.
When 7th grade science teacher n
Seaman heard about the tragedy in Texas,
he felt profound sadness.
But he wasn't surprised.
Not really surprising.
Unfortunately, it's here we go again.
The deadly gun violence.
Nearly four years to the day afr
he was shot in his own school,
Seaman spent this anniversary
in the same Noblesville,
W classroom where it happened,
still doing what he loves. Same
room, same everything.
The 25th to me is a day,
and I'm not going to let it be
something that brings negative emotion.
When one of his 13
year old students shot semen and
classmate Ella Whistler in 2018,
he disarmed the young gunman
and everyone survived.
He says the school,
thanks to security improvements,
is safer than ever.
We had a great outcome all things considered,
so that definitely factors into
how much I think about it.
If I were in the situation that
happened in Texas where lives were lost,
it would be a much different,
much different anniversary.
And that's why semen is concern.
School shootings are still happg
with mind numbing frequency.
It hurts because people are losing loved
ones and then it also hurts that it's
going to keep happening becauset
needs to change is not being addressed.
What really frustrates me is that that
seems to be the trigger for people to fight
and point fingers on various platforms.
But then not a lot is changing.
In a progressive way in our legislation
and the people who can actually
impact the change. What should change?
I am a fan of the background ch.
I think we need to do that.
That's a start.
But just overall how we approach
the subject can be a this or th.
There's got to be a compromise d
we need to figure out what work.
It's a puzzle.
So you have to take the human element
and you have to have the firearm
element and you have to have the
mental health element and that takes.
People to know specialists fromh
one coming together to make a compromise
and not be entrenched and well,
this is what I think.
This is what has to happen.
Hi. Hi Ella. Nearly two months
have gone by since the horrific
school shooting in Noblesville.
You might think school would
be the last place 13 year old
Ella Whistler would want to be.
But as we learn from Jim,
Deb and Kevin on WFMS radio this morning,
it's not necessarily the
case. Ella has been fighting thh
her recovery and working very h.
She's going to be returning to
school on the 1st of August
and she's ready. She said yes, I am really
ready. People just
don't believe that I'm going bak
the first day. People think some
people think I'll be homeschool,
so people think I won't be there
the first day, but it's going
to be as normal as possible, as
normal as it can be For a girl
who was shot 7 times, we've seen
her in two parades in Carmel.
And in her hometown of Nobles,
it was funny seeing people's reactions.
They're just like, Oh my gosh, .
But this was her radio debut.
Ella's with us here.
Course the inspiration,
but Ella's aid joining us here,
being our guest all throughout this morning.
We're glad to have you here.
Want to do a shout,
I believe, to Jason?
Jason Seaman, who's your teache?
Hello Jason.
He's listening to Jason.
Now. Jason Seaman is the teacher
who was also shot that day while
grappling with the shooter,
trying to prevent further bloodshed she had.
Admitted to Jim, Deb, and Kevint
while she likes Jason as a teac,
not particularly fond of his cl.
I don't like the subject.
It was I did not like it at all.
But he made it fun. So I mean,
I mean, it made it better, but ,
I just didn't like the subject, Megan
Slater says. She was just seven
months into her new job as
school nurse at Noblesville,
W the day of the shooting.
It was around 9:00, o'clock,
and I got a phone call from one of the
science teachers and she was whispering
and she said this is not a joke.
I just heard shots fired across the hall.
I had children in my clinic at e
time who I needed to keep safe,
so I barricaded them in my room.
Called 911 and then ran to the
scene of the incident on May 25.
Schleater says she didn't hesit.
I have two children in
that building at the time,
and I didn't know if I was
running to help my own children,
to help my best friend's childr,
to help children.
I didn't know and it didn't mat.
And I am the only medical perso,
medically trained person in
that building and I knew.
I I could not stay in my office,
but I had to run to the scene.
Her background is emergency room nursing.
She was familiar with Ella Whis,
the student shot from show choi,
and when she arrived in the classroom,
Schleater says she was unaware
that the student who fired his n
had also hit teacher Jason Seam.
For her heroic efforts,
Riverview Health awarded
Schleater the Daisy Award.
Ella Whistler surprised her
at the ceremony. I don't know
if I would be standing here tody
if it weren't for all the first
responders, especially Megan,
and I would like to thank her fm
the bottom of my heart for that.
She and I are very close,
and I really feel like we always will be.
We're going to share something t
that not too many people share.
And I think that bond will
just be there forever.
But I feel like we have all gron
stronger and closer and we're al
kind of ready to move forward because.
Ella survived and Jason Seaman
survived and we're very fortunae
that that they that we do have
survivors from this this traged.
Now the shooter, who was thirten
years old at the time of the incident,
was ordered to a juvenile
prison until his 18th birthday.
That's this year,
but it was back on April 19th.
The prosecutors in the case asked the
judge to keep that shooter locked up.
Well, they investigated an alleged incident
that occurred inside that juvenile facility.
13 News learned that incident involved
him making a fist bump motion to
a female caseworker, but instea,
the shooter allegedly touched h.
Breast with his hands,
the judge says this incident
shows the shooter is not ready
to be released from custody.
He now will undergo A psychologl
evaluation before another review hearing.
Again, we've been talking abouts
for four years, and these shoots
just continue to happen. Parents
in the group Noblesville stands
together are now standing with
the parents of students from Rob
Elementary School in Guvaldi, T.
It's devastating to watch these
families have to go through.
Another senseless, tragic shoot.
You know, in just what is a string of long,
senseless, tragic shootings,
the feeling of fear and devastation the
community in Texas is going through is
something Steve Rogers knows ab.
His son was a student at Noblese
West Middle School when a 13
year old gunman opened fire,
shot a student and a teacher in a classroom.
That is the thing that I
remember most. About that day
is having to wait several hours.
I wanted my son back in my arms right now,
he says. There are people in Noblesville
who will never get over that da.
There are kids today in Noblesville who
still startle every time they hear the
door of their classroom jiggle. Local
law enforcement is also feeling
the heaviness from this tragedy.
That's why they tell me right
now is the time for all schools
to reinforce their security,
the Indiana Sheriff's Associati.
We are seriously looking at enhancing
Threat Assessment Behavioral tes
by even digital Threat Assessmet
teams because a lot of time the
behaviors can be picked up earl.
The group has worked with Noblesville
Schools to increase safety in classrooms,
for example, better building security,
access to mental health service,
and advocating for responsible
gun ownership and reform.
But the shooting in Texas is evidence
there's more work to be done nationwide.
We are the only civilized county
in the world that has this prob.
After the shooting in 2018,
the district asked for,
and the community passed,
a referendum to make enhancemens
to mental health and safety
programs that included $1.7
million allocated for staffing,
facilities and procedures,
and another one and a half
million dollars for mental
health resources and initiative.
We'll keep in
mind today's rally comes just aw
days after another mass shootin,
this one at Michigan State University,
where three students were
killed and five others injured.
With that top of mind,
there are a few bills in the
House and Senate that these
gun safety advocates say,
many of them parents,
that they will be asking
lawmakers to push forward.
These mothers say they're
watching several bills in
both the House and Senate this
session that deal with guns.
One of them, House Bill 1471,
would require a gun
owner to keep the gun locked
and unloaded, with the gun and
ammunition stored in separate places.
Another bill, Senate Bill 358,
calls for similar measures and d
also require a gun owner to rept
within 24 hours a gun that turns
up stolen or missing. Gun safety
advocates also expressed
concern for House Bill 1614,
which would repeal an Indiana law that
temporarily limits access to guns for
a person. If a court decides the person
is a danger to himself or other,
Tricia Owens is part of mom's demand action.
Her kids were in grade school
in Noblesville when a school
shooting happened there.
At the middle school I
started getting pinged with,
the schools are on lockdown,
shooting emails, texts.
I mean, it was
unreal. And I know that people
think that it won't happen to tm
and luckily my kids were safe,
but it's just unfortunately it's
a matter of time and I just.
I don't want that to ever
happen to anyone again.
And there is a bill that just pd
out of the House and is headed to the
Senate that would offer voluntay
handgun training to teachers.