Help needed long after the trauma

First, I would like to thank The Herald for allowing readers who live out of the area the opportunity to stay in touch online by making the reporting on the MPHS tragedy available. My lovely niece is a sophomore at MP and was a witness to the shootings that occurred, and The Herald’s reporting helped my family track events so that we could be informed. I hope that the Snohomish County community to include law enforcement, will move forward with true understanding in the long-term for what each child at MP has experienced.

Understanding will require action in the coming months and years in response to behaviors that these children may exhibit, including anger, seemingly negative behavior, poor grades, illegal behavior, and acting as if they don’t care about school, rules, laws. I hope that the local courts will also take into consideration when there is a child (adolescents are children) in front of the judge, whether or not they have been traumatized by the shootings and that prosecutors and defense attorneys will also let this guide their decisions. The Snohomish County personnel working in the courts really care about the children they work with and infusing trauma training will be especially important as this will be an unfolding that will span several years or more. I hope the entire community will become “trauma informed.” Again, thank you, Herald, for the stellar reporting during this time.

Dawn Williams

Rochester, Washington