The country is still reeling from the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, on Tuesday, and emotions were raw in Webb City 24-hours later. KRPS’s Fred Fletcher-Fierro has more.

The countdown to summer continued in schools throughout southwest Missouri on Wednesday. One day after 19, four graders and two teachers, all from the same class at Robb Elementary, were gunned down by an 18-year carrying one of the two rifles he purchased from a federally licensed gun store just days after his birthday earlier this month.

Dozens of parents, including Rachel, who declined to give her last name, shared her thoughts Wednesday on the Uvalde shooting as she waited for her daughter outside Webster Primary school in Webb City.

“I think it was awful. Extremely sad. Scary. (Fred “Do you think that something like that could happen in Webb City?) Absolutely. I think it could happen anywhere.”

Rachel went on to say that she believes that Webster is a safe place for her daughter to attend, citing that the staff keeps the front doors locked, and they check IDs upon entry to ensure students’ safety.