A Day Of Breaking News

Three breaking stories, two deaths…

The first story happened in Lake County. A train derailed sparking a fire that burned for hours. Emergency crews evacuated people from their homes as a precaution.

Then, a call for shots fired came into 911 from students at SuccessTech Academy on Lakeside Avenue in Cleveland. Four people were shot, another student was hurt during the panic as students and teachers tried to run to safety. The shooter died after killing himself. Cleveland Schools won’t reopen until Monday.

Then, word of a Euclid police officer dying while trying to stop a suspected speeder.

The train derailment on any other day would have lead newscasts and would have been worth team coverage. But on Wednesday, it didn’t even make the first block on many Cleveland newscasts.

On any other day, a police officer dying while on duty would have been worth team coverage. But on Wednesday, the coverage focused on the school shooting at SuccessTech.

When you work in news, sometimes you give the story more attention than what actually happened. It is very scary to me and I assume everyone else how vunerable students can be in schools. Private schools aren’t exempt from the threat.

My thoughts and prayers go out to all of those families affected by the school shooting and to the family of the Euclid police officer. He left behind a wife and two children just trying to do his job and keep other people safe. The students, teachers and staff at SuccessTech will have to live with the memory of what happened on October 10, 2007. I hope and pray it won’t scar them.