Sandy Hook mom speaks at Safe School Summit in Delco

WPVI logo
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
Sandy Hook mom speaks at Safe School Summit in Delco: Alicia Vitarelli reports on Action News at 4 p.m., October 10, 2017
Sandy Hook mom speaks at Safe School Summit in Delco: Alicia Vitarelli reports on Action News at 4 p.m., October 10, 2017

More than 250 school administrators, teachers and public safety personnel attended the Delaware County District Attorney's Safe School Summit Tuesday in Media.

The summit centered on the emotional story of one mother who suffered an unimaginable loss in the Sandy Hook School shooting.

Alissa Parker has taken her family's grief and made it their life mission to protect every child in school.

Her 6-year-old daughter Emilie was one of the 20 children killed in the Sandy Hook shooting in Newtown, Connecticut.

December marks five years since the tragedy rocked that community and the entire country.

She remembers Christmas shopping for her little girl, looking at Legos when the automated call came in.

Parker shared the details leading up to their unthinkable loss and the mission they've been on since their first grader got on a school bus and never came home.

Parker said as her family tried to heal they also wanted to be on the front lines of school safety, and fixing what she calls an unintentionally flawed system.

"When someone is looking to harm a large population, an innocent population, you have really created a perfect target around schools," said Parker. "So how do we remove that target and make them not vulnerable to those who want to do harm? That's really the goal."

Parker said what she's learned is there needs to be better collaboration between local law enforcement, schools and community partners.

----------

Send a breaking news alert
Report a correction or typo
Learn more about the 6abc apps

Related Topics