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Parents reflect on shootings at East High School

The Parents - Safety Advocacy Group held a dove release just off campus in honor of the six people impacted by gun violence during the 2022-23 school year.

DENVER — Six months ago, Steve Katsaros was standing outside of East High School wondering if his kids were safe after another shooting on or around campus during the last school year.

"Parents were losing their minds," Katsaros said.

That prompted him and others to start the Parents - Safety Advocacy Group, or P-SAG, to push for change around school safety.

"All we are are parents who don't want that next phone call," Katsaros said.

Six months ago, two deans, Wayne Mason and Eric Sinclair, were shot while searching a student for weapons. They survived, but that student, Austin Lyle, killed himself while police were searching for him. In February, 16-year-old Luis Garcia was shot and killed right outside of East High School. In September 2022, RJ Harding was shot while he was leaving the Carla Madison Rec Center across from campus. Another student was shot near campus last year, according to Katsaros. That student was not identified.

"Basically, tragedies that didn't have to happen, happen because we keep repeating cycles," Katsaros said.

P-SAG pushed for changes in security protocol and for the return of armed School Resource Officers to return to schools around Denver. Some of those changes were made including bring back SROs and Katsaros said the culture at East High School is better this year.

"We're so fortunate and blessed that things are better at East, but policies that led to last year still exist," Katsaros said. "The threat is still there."

So is the pain. P-SAG held a moment of silence and dove release Friday in honor of the six people impacted by gun violence during the 2022-23 school year.

"As these doves are released during our moment of silence, we just want to say we remember you and we hope there aren't more like you," Gina Belich, a parent, said.

John Castillo knows that pain, too well. His son, Kendrick, was killed in 2019 at a school shooting at STEM School Highlands Ranch. Kendrick tackled one of the shooters to save his classmates.

"Anybody who is a survivor of acts of domestic violence, terror, mass shootings, school shootings, what they want for their loved ones is number one — they want them to always be remembered," Castillo said.

Castillo knows the need for groups like P-SAG to keep pushing for reforms so students, parents, and teachers don't have to fear the next shooting.

"We can’t live our lives like that. We have to become so much more and we have to respect everybody’s opinion on what school safety looks like," Castillo said.

Katsaros said the work to fight for change is far from over.

"Right now, the current leadership is unable to make those changes," Katsaros said.

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