Boston Schools Have Security Plans

BOSTON -- In the wake of the nation's third outbreak of violence at a school in the past week, parents and school officials are concerned about the safety of students in Massachusetts classrooms.

NewsCenter 5's Gail Huff reported that Boston police said they have security plans in place to address such concerns.

In the case of a local attack, they said, procedures and school floor plans are on file with Boston police stations and every classroom has a chart that explains responses to 30 different scenarios and a crisis command team is ready to respond.

Authorities in Pennsylvania learned that Charles Roberts IV targeted an Amish school because he knew there was no security there. He walked his own children to the bus stop, then drove to the school with ammunition, guns and knives, letting all the boys leave before barricading himself inside with female students.

Before police arrived, Roberts began shooting the children and then fired on himself. Based on suicide notes and a call to his wife, Roberts was acting in revenge for something that had happened to him when he was a child.

"He was angry with life, he was angry at God, things like that," Pennsylvania police said.

In Massachusetts, schools have done much to provide security since the Columbine attacks, but for smaller communities there remain problems.

"Frankly, for a smaller school without a lot of perimeter security, it's tough to prevent someone who's determined to get into the school, and who has a weapon, from coming on their premises," Middlesex County District Attorney Martha Coakley said.

Just last week in Boston, Charlestown High School was put under lock down after a shooting occurred near the school and a shotgun was recovered in bushes nearby. Officials believed the shooting was the result of an argument between students the day before.