After School Shooting, Search for Answers Continues

“I think we can all make a reasonable assumption he came there to do some harm. He did come outside of that building. He did fire shots in the direction of officers.”  

Authorities confirmed the gunman gained entry to the school by walking through a locked door behind someone with authorization to be there.

Lead Det. Ray Davis said Hill’s motive remains unclear.

“He may have had prior contact with somebody there in the past. He is a local person from DeKalb County, in the metro area. He has a slight criminal history.” 

Meanwhile, there’s still concern about why McNair and the school system failed to inform parents of the shooting firsthand.  

DeKalb School Emergency Response Team manager Rick Jackson acknowledged Tuesday the county doesn’t have a uniform notification system. He said notifying parents is left to individual schools. When asked if a text, email, or phone call to parents was part of McNair’s individual emergency response plan, Jackson didn’t know.

“You asking me did that happen? I can’t say. All I know is everyone has a protocol to follow,” said Jackson.

Kiwanna Kennedy, the chief operating officer of nearby Decatur schools, which is separate from DeKalb, was troubled parents had to find out from the news or through friends.

“What I would say as a parent and speaking as a parent is yes, I would want to know if an incident like that occurred at my school as soon as possible for me to know I would want that information.”

She said Decatur schools in emergency scenarios have a policy of robo-calling and emailing parents, as well as posting information on the school system’s website.

DeKalb Regional Superintendent Rachel Ziegler said the county is reviewing a uniform notification system.

“We just had a meeting – a principal’s meeting – and we talked about that. We’re looking at that right now. We’re working toward that. Things have to go through the board for approval. Things have to happen.”

DeKalb’s Interim superintendent Michael Thurmond said he’s willing to look at any procedure that could improve the county’s overall emergency response.

“We’re going to debrief and revisit this entire episode to make sure that number one we followed the protocol but knowing two to see if there are things we can do better.”

McNair elementary students resumed class at a nearby high school Wednesday morning. Officials say they’ll return to their school Thursday.