Kentucky’s education commissioner is asking Kentuckians to wear blue and orange on Friday in honor of the staff and students at Marshall County High School and in memory of the victims of the school shooting last week.
Commissioner Stephen Pruitt said the people of Marshall County need to know they will be supported after the national spotlight fades.
“They still have to live and they have to be there. And grief doesn’t happen over a couple days or weeks. It’s an ongoing process and so we just want them to feel supported,” said Pruitt.
Support for Marshall County and the shooting victims have poured in from across the country and state. Superintendent Trent Lovett and principal Patricia Greer said the sympathy and encouragement is overwhelming and appreciated.
Commissioner Pruitt said school shootings are not easy to predict or prevent, but that schools are working hard to keep kids safe. He said the worst thing you can do is have a “knee-jerk reaction.” Instead, Pruitt said his department will use the time to be reflective.
“We’re going to be having some conversations, you know, having some discussions with everybody from the Center for School to the State Police just to evaluate what happened and are there some things we can take to scale,” said Pruitt.
Gov. Matt Bevin has also warned against knee-jerk reactions, calling instead for “thoughts and prayers.” Pruitt said it’s too early to tell what actions they will take.
Kentuckians are asked to take pictures showing their support and post them on social media with the hashtag #MarshallStrong.
