HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – Klein ISD parents are banding together and demanding stronger safety measures after three gun incidents at different district campuses in a single week.
Parents gathered at the Memorial Northwest Community Center in Spring Tuesday night at to sign a petition asking the district for clearer communication and stricter security. Many said they weren’t told about incidents until hours after they happened, and they fear a lag in notification puts students at risk.
One parent described the feeling of terror when a school shooting hits close to home.
“When it happens in your child’s school it’s a completely different feeling, a whole other level of terror,” said Courtney Zuniga.
At Klein Collins High School, a parent says her daughter, Emma, was standing near a restroom when a student allegedly fired a gunshot inside.
“You hear that a gun goes off and you’re like okay and then you hear yeah I was right next to it and that kind of stops you in your tracks and makes you reconsider everything,” said Miranda Redd
Emma said she didn’t realize the sound was gunfire at first and that school staff did not notify families until after school hours.
“It just made me jump and I heard everyone scream,” Emma said.
“There’s just a bunch of teachers, they didn’t say anything until after school,” Emma said.
Some parents said it took hours for the district to notify families because students cannot have phones on campus.
“It still took four hours for any type of notification and because kids can’t have phones, there was no text from her to let me know,” said Miranda Redd
Officials say Zwink Elementary also experienced an incident when a man identified by investigators as Kyle Najm Chris entered the front entrance wearing tactical-style clothing and carrying a holstered handgun.
Over at Klein High School, investigators say a student brought an unloaded gun onto campus.
Klein ISD told KPRC 2 News it is taking immediate steps, including increased police presence, random metal detector screenings and K-9 searches across campuses.
Parents say those actions are not enough and are calling for stricter entry points, real-time parent notifications, and an independent safety audit of district practices.
“I would love to see metal detectors installed, at least at the high school level,” said Redd. “I don’t think random checks are enough, I think metal detectors need to be at the door as the students walk in, clear backpacks, it needs to be made very clear that there is absolutely zero tolerance for this to happen again.”
The district is also urging parents to talk with their children about the consequences of bringing weapons to school and to securely store firearms at home. An organization called BSMART is distributing free firearm locks as one example of how families can store weapons safely.
Klein ISD parents said they are gathering their online and in person signatures and will be sending them to Klein ISD officials Wednesday morning.