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House Resolution 15 - Introduced
An Act 1honoring the responders to the March 7,
22022, East High School shooting.
3WHEREAS, on March 7, 2022, approximately 40 shots
4were fired at students from vehicles in front of East
5High School in Des Moines;and
6WHEREAS, campus monitor Jontay Williams and
7associate principal Anthony Gianaras responded to the
8situation within one minute by moving the school into
9an external lockdown, contacting 911 for the three
10students who had been shot, and immediately relocated
11to where the students had been shot to secure the area
12and tend to the students;and
13WHEREAS, associate principal Lisa Harrington rapidly
14executed lockdown protocols to prevent further harm to
15students;and
16WHEREAS, campus monitor Larry Mason, associate
17principal Rich Newkirk, teacher Trisha Buckley, and
18juvenile court liaison Jill McIlhon rushed to Mr.
19Williams and Mr.Gianaras’s position to comfort, hold,
20and tend to students who had been shot or escaped from
21the shooting until paramedics and law enforcement
22arrived, and continued to support students after
23emergency responders arrived;and
24WHEREAS, paramedics and law enforcement arrived at
25the scene within minutes and immediately mobilized to
26provide medical care and protect the school;and
27WHEREAS, director of high schools Mike Vukovich
28assisted in coordinating with school staff to procure
-1-1resources for East High School after the shooting;and
2WHEREAS, the teachers of East High School maintained
3calm in their classrooms throughout the lockdown in a
4situation that could have easily led to panic;and
5WHEREAS, associate principal William Crosby
6coordinated with others throughout the campus to
7track the whereabouts of each person in the school and
8dismiss students in an orderly fashion that would not
9interfere with emergency responders;and
10WHEREAS, the office staff for East High School were
11highly active in communicating with emergency services,
12students, and student families to provide everyone with
13as much information and services as possible;and
14WHEREAS, in the tragedy two students sustained
15critical injuries and a third suffered fatal
16wounds;and
17WHEREAS, bilingual family liaison Rosario Jimenez
18comforted and supported the families of the victims at
19the time of the shooting and in the days to follow;NOW
20THEREFORE,
21BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, That
22the House of Representatives honors the staff, faculty,
23and first responders at East High School for their
24extraordinary courage, professionalism, and compassion
25in the face of a deadly shooting on March 7, 2022, and
26in the days following;and
27BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That upon passage of this
28resolution, the chief clerk of the House shall transmit
29a copy of this resolution to Jill Versteeg, principal
30of East High School.
-2-dg/rn
An Act 1honoring the responders to the March 7,
22022, East High School shooting.
3WHEREAS, on March 7, 2022, approximately 40 shots
4were fired at students from vehicles in front of East
5High School in Des Moines;and
6WHEREAS, campus monitor Jontay Williams and
7associate principal Anthony Gianaras responded to the
8situation within one minute by moving the school into
9an external lockdown, contacting 911 for the three
10students who had been shot, and immediately relocated
11to where the students had been shot to secure the area
12and tend to the students;and
13WHEREAS, associate principal Lisa Harrington rapidly
14executed lockdown protocols to prevent further harm to
15students;and
16WHEREAS, campus monitor Larry Mason, associate
17principal Rich Newkirk, teacher Trisha Buckley, and
18juvenile court liaison Jill McIlhon rushed to Mr.
19Williams and Mr.Gianaras’s position to comfort, hold,
20and tend to students who had been shot or escaped from
21the shooting until paramedics and law enforcement
22arrived, and continued to support students after
23emergency responders arrived;and
24WHEREAS, paramedics and law enforcement arrived at
25the scene within minutes and immediately mobilized to
26provide medical care and protect the school;and
27WHEREAS, director of high schools Mike Vukovich
28assisted in coordinating with school staff to procure
-1-1resources for East High School after the shooting;and
2WHEREAS, the teachers of East High School maintained
3calm in their classrooms throughout the lockdown in a
4situation that could have easily led to panic;and
5WHEREAS, associate principal William Crosby
6coordinated with others throughout the campus to
7track the whereabouts of each person in the school and
8dismiss students in an orderly fashion that would not
9interfere with emergency responders;and
10WHEREAS, the office staff for East High School were
11highly active in communicating with emergency services,
12students, and student families to provide everyone with
13as much information and services as possible;and
14WHEREAS, in the tragedy two students sustained
15critical injuries and a third suffered fatal
16wounds;and
17WHEREAS, bilingual family liaison Rosario Jimenez
18comforted and supported the families of the victims at
19the time of the shooting and in the days to follow;NOW
20THEREFORE,
21BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, That
22the House of Representatives honors the staff, faculty,
23and first responders at East High School for their
24extraordinary courage, professionalism, and compassion
25in the face of a deadly shooting on March 7, 2022, and
26in the days following;and
27BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That upon passage of this
28resolution, the chief clerk of the House shall transmit
29a copy of this resolution to Jill Versteeg, principal
30of East High School.
-2-dg/rn