FOR RELEASE
Contact: Julie Green
(202) 401-3026
May 21, 1998
STATEMENT BY U.S. SECRETARY OF EDUCATION RICHARD W. RILEY
On the shooting at Thurston High School in Springfield, Ore.
This tragedy touches all of us. All of America grieves with the parents and families who are now struggling to cope with the death and injury caused by this terrible incident.
This is an important time to support the Springfield community and the students and faculty at Thurston High School and respect their efforts to deal with this tragedy. We should be respectful of and support community wishes in this time of suffering.
This type of violence where a young person is willing to kill other innocent individuals is a new and disturbing pattern. Jonesboro, Ark., and other communities are all too fresh in our memory. I am troubled by the disconnection that seems to haunt too many of our children and by their easy access to guns. Too often in these situations young people who turn to violence are giving us early warning signs that they are headed for trouble. This is why I urge communities to rally around their schools and work with them to prevent any further tragedies like this from happening.
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