On February 14th, 2018, a gunman entered a school in Parkland, Florida and proceeded to kill 17 students and teachers.

Principal Don Stensrud asked for a moment of silence for those victims and told Royal Banner reporters what steps the school is doing to increase the school’s security.

The gunman is suspected to be a 19 year old former attendee of the school. He appeared in court for an opening appearance on 17 counts of murder, to which he pleaded guilty.

Fairview principal Don Stensrud asked for a moment of silence for those victims,“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and communities of [Parkland],” said Stensrud in his an announcement on the 15th of February.

Many students said that they heard conversation over the intercom after the Principal’s remarks, even when he had asked for a moment of silence for the victims of Parkland.

“I heard that they were talking throughout the entire [moment of silence],…It kind of sounded like he had the announcement, and then put his hand up to the phone and was talking,” said Junior Trevor Shlieman.

Sophomore Lucas Casals thought that Stensrud was attempting to quiet down other people in the office.

“It seems to me like he was trying to get someone else to stop [talking],” said Casals.

Stensrud said that he noticed “on the bricks, you can’t hear the intercom and a couple of people were still walking into the school, a couple of people walked in the office right during the moment of silence… so Dot was closing the door and [told them] to be quiet.”

Junior Zander Gilbert responded: “If he really was trying to get someone to stop talking during the moment of silence that’s good, but if not, it’s disrespectful.”

Stensrud also recognized the concern many students may have at Fairview.

“If we had a shooter come here…we’re in a concrete jungle, you wouldn’t be able to locate the gunshots.”

Stensrud told the Royal Banner reporters what steps the school is doing to increase the school’s security.

“We have money in the budget this year…that would put cameras in every high school. All common areas, not classrooms or places like that.”

Stensrud stressed that the school community will do best by helping each other.

“We need to make sure we need to take care of one another” he says.