MISSION, Kan. (AP) — Schools are installing panic buttons to summon help during a shooting, as they scramble to reassure worried parents after this spring’s massacre in Uvalde, Texas, and ahead of back-to-school. Panic buttons are mandated in multiple states. The mother of a Parkland, Florida, shooting victim promotes the buttons, arguing seconds matter when tragedy strikes. But some school safety experts raised concerns that schools are engaging in “security theater” designed to reassure parents, while neglecting basic safeguards like ensuring staff lock doors.
Photo: Brent Kiger, Olathe Public Schools’ director of safety service, displays a panic-alert button while students at Olathe South High School rush between classes Friday, Aug. 19, 2022, in Olathe, Kan. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)