Shootings at schools crack glass, prompt security

A police barricade in front of Clippard Elementary School directed students to a side-door entry Wednesday morning because of vandalism to windows at the main entrance.By Scott Moyers ~ Southeast Missourian

Police are stepping up security at Cape Girardeau schools after windows and glass doors were shot out at Alma Schrader and Clippard elementary schools, even though authorities believe it was a simple case of New Year's Eve vandalism.

No one was injured in the three shooting incidents that also included the A.C. Brase Arena Building. All of the buildings were empty due to the holiday break.

The Cape Girardeau School Board has offered a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible. Notes were sent home with students Thursday explaining the situation to parents.

"We think this is a very serious crime, and we're extremely concerned that the perpetrator be brought to justice," said schools superintendent Dr. Dan Steska. "Granted, it is only broken windows, but there could have been people in the building, and it could have been life threatening."

Police Chief Steve Strong said parents shouldn't overreact and that a stronger police presence is only a precautionary measure.

"We watch the schools now, but they will be given more scrutiny," Strong said.

A stronger police presence will go on "as long as necessary," Strong said.

Strong said that he believes the motive was simple vandalism.

"We don't feel there was an intent to harm an individual," he said. "But we do consider this a priority and a serious matter that we will be giving our fullest attention."

Windows and doors

Nine windows and one glass door were damaged at Clippard, 2860 Hopper Road, and a glass door and four windows were shot out at Alma Schrader, 1360 Randol Ave. Lights, three windows and three glass doors were shot out at the Arena Building in Arena Park.

No exact figures were available, but school and city officials said damage estimates would likely reach thousands of dollars. All the incidents involved a .22-caliber weapon, and police believe the shootings are connected.

Parents expressed concern Wednesday afternoon, the first day back to school for students since Christmas break. In addition to the notes, students were told of the matter through intercom announcements Wednesday morning. Jennifer Dowdy, a 32-year-old mother of a Clippard student, said she wishes she had known about the incidents before she brought her fourth-grader to school.

"If I had known, I probably wouldn't have sent him," she said. "Because of all the school shootings, the terrorism. People may say it's an overreaction, but you just never know."

Laura Proffer, 34, has a daughter in kindergarten at Clippard. She said it was a cause for concern, but she doesn't think her daughter's life is in danger.

"I just think it's childish," Proffer said. "You'd think people would have something better to do."

According to the principals of both schools, student reaction was minimal.

"Students didn't really even pay any attention to it," said Alma Schrader principal Frank Ellis, whose school has 480 elementary students. "I've got a couple of sixth graders who asked me what we're going to do about it, and I told them we were going to prosecute whoever did it. Other than that, it's been business as usual."

Sydney Herbst, principal at Clippard, said the 400 students who go there had to use a different entrance.

"But none of the students seemed to be upset by it," she said. "It just changed the way we come in as far as they're concerned."

Steska said he doesn't believe it's a school-related shooting because damage was done to the Arena Building.

"I think it was possibly just happenstance that they picked schools," he said. "It could have been any place that had a number of windows."

The administration, staff and two school resource officers are talking with students, Steska said.

"I'd like to say it won't happen again, but that's impossible," he said. "It can happen to anybody at any time. We're becoming more aware of that in our society, from Columbine to New York to Cape Girardeau. This kind of thing can happen anywhere."

smoyers@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 137