WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Following a mass shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic school that the FBI is calling a domestic terrorist attack on Catholics, parents in South Florida are voicing concerns about safety at their children's schools.
WATCH BELOW: 'It's a shame. We've had some major shootings,' Nina Thompson tells WPTV
Two children died and 17 were injured after being shot in their school's church. The tragedy has prompted local Catholic school parents to ask questions about security measures, especially on campuses with public masses.
"It's a shame," said Nina Thompson, picking up her grandson from St. Juliana Catholic School in West Palm Beach.
Thompson said the Minneapolis church shooting makes her think of tragedies closer to home.
"We've had some major shootings here in Florida," she said.
Parents, waiting to pick up their kids from school, tell WPTV they're now questioning what safety measures are in place to keep their children safe.
The Archdiocese of Palm Beach provided the following statement:
"Each school has safety procedures in place...The schools within the diocese also conduct safety drills and have Emergency Operation Plans."
When asked for specific safety measures, the archdiocese has not responded.
WATCH PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 2 children killed, 17 injured in shooting
A visit to eight Catholic schools in the area revealed most schools are fenced. However, the churches at many campuses are open to the public. At St. Anne in West Palm Beach, the campus isn't fenced but the church does have a gate and police patrols.
At Sacred Heart in Lake Worth Beach, the school is fenced but the church is patrolled by Palm Beach County deputies. Officers from West Palm Beach Police Department, Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office deputies, Florida Highway Patrol troopers and privately hired security guards said they have been stationed at their respective schools for years and watch over the children every day.
"I think they should be. I'm glad they locked the doors, double locked doors. They need it,” Thompson said.
It is still early in the investigation in Minneapolis, but it has not been confirmed if the school there had armed officers patrolling the campus everyday like they are at our local schools.
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