BARROW COUNTY, Ga. — Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith offered a brief public statement Monday morning as Apalachee High School prepares to begin resuming classes.
The school is taking a phased-in approach that will begin Monday with an open house style reintroduction, followed by half days and then fall break. The resumption of full-day classes will begin after fall break.
The sheriff, meanwhile, spoke at 8:30 a.m. outside Apalachee High. His full remarks will be available in the video player above this story momentarily.
Sheriff Smith remarks
The sheriff said being on hand for the reopening of the school Monday "brings back a few emotions for several of us."
He said when the shooting occurred on Sept. 4, "our community was brought to its knees."
"Unfortunately our most vulnerable were attacked -- our kids, our teachers in this building behind us," Sheriff Smith said. "But what evil did not plan for was the resiliency and strength that they have. They did not count for that -- what our community does when they come together and when we try to heal."
He called the reopening Monday "a huge step for us healing in this building behind us."
"The kids and the teachers have been communicating, but not face to face in most regards. But they will today, so the overflow of emotions is not only tough for them, but tough for us as well," Smith said.
He also spoke to some of the security measures now at the school, saying that state partners continue to help secure the building and school property and stressing continued patience, as "there are safety measures in pace, and just because you don't see them doesn't mean they're not there."
He also asked for space for the children, parents and teachers at Apalachee High "so that our kids will get back on that path to be the strong Chee nation that they are."
"Again I applaud our school system, we're the strongest around, and as I stated before the love that we give our kids, love we give our parents and staff and teachers, it will always prevail over what happened," the sheriff said.
More on the sheriff
Sheriff Smith has been a visible part of the community's response to the Sept. 4 school shooting that killed two students, Christian Angulo and Mason Schermerhorn, and two teachers, Cristina Irimie and Richard Aspinwall.
The sheriff was born and raised in the area. He attended a school in the district and so do his children.
"This hits home for me," he said the day of the shooting. "I'm proud of this school system."
"My heart hurts for these kids. My heart hurts for our community, but I want to make it very clear that hate will not prevail in this county," he said.
Sheriff Smith asked that the community lift up schools and public safety during this time and not let this "hateful event prevail."
Instead, he said, "Love will prevail over what happened today."