28-01-2025
'I'm not mad, I'm angry': Madison students ask leaders to do more to keep them safe in school
MADISON - Lawmakers and local leaders gathered Monday night to listen to community members speak about concerns related to schools safety following a shooting at a Madison school late last year.
The listening session, hosted by state Rep. Shelia Stubbs, D-Madison, and state Sen. Kelda Roys, D-Madison, also included a number of first responders, who listened raptly to community members and students who expressed their concerns.
Dozens of community members filled the room at Monona Public Library, many of them lining up to speak. Parents asked for increased mental health support in schools, and to curtail bullying so there is a better sense of belonging.
Students asked lawmakers to do more to help keep them safe at school, so they aren't required to wonder if they will be the next victims of violence in the classroom.
The Abundant Life Christian School shooting left three dead Dec. 16, including the shooter, a 15-year-old freshman. Madison police identified the shooting victims as Erin West, a substitute teacher coordinator, and Rubi Patricia Vergara, a freshman student.
The shooting also wounded six others, leaving two in critical condition. Madison police have not identified any of the six non-fatal victims. The two in critical condition have been declared to be in good condition by UW Health this month, after surviving multiple gunshot wounds.
Avi Mack, a senior at Madison West High School, asked leaders when she was allowed to be mad in an impassioned speech.
"When am I supposed to be mad? Genuine question. Today? Tomorrow? The day after tomorrow? Until all the teachers in America have pondered the question, 'Can I save all these kids?'" she said.
"Until every student has had to send that final I love you message to their parents? Until every friend, family and community has to mourn the death of another vital piece of our future? Well, I tell you what, America. I'm not mad, I'm angry."
Mack was one of many students who walked out of Madison schools in the days following the shooting, and said she read the same speech that day.
"We can create a future we want our children to grow up in. Oh wait, no, we are the kids," she said. "Can we grow up first? Or are you going to shoot us down soon?"
Adah Lambeck, also a student at Madison West, spoke about how the day after the Abundant Life shooting, a miscommunication occurred that resulted in a lockdown, panicking teachers and students alike.
She asked leaders to streamline a response system that protects those in the building, and that the mental health of students be taken into account.
A number of community members also spoke about the importance of providing opportunities for children outside of school.
"As someone who struggles with mental health, I find it extremely helpful to have people at school I can go to," she said.
"I'm fortunate enough to have had, you know, a mother who's been present and very supportive of me. But not everyone has that, and that's when the community needs to fill in and help (to) provide those resources, and schools are really great way to do that, because it's where your kid is spending most of their time throughout the year. So it's really important that we invest in mental health resources."
Laura Schulte can be reached at leschulte@ and on X @SchulteLaura.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Madison students ask leaders to do more to keep them safe in school
