Reaction to the shooting at a Connecticut elementary school came swiftly from all corners Friday.
U.S. President Barack Obama held a press conference where he said Americans are "going to have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this, regardless of the politics."
On this side of the border, Prime Minister Stephen Harper took to Twitter to offer his sympathies.
“The news is just awful. The thoughts and prayers of Canadians are with the students and families in CT affected by this senseless violence,” he tweeted.
Premier Dalton McGuinty and Kitchener-Waterloo MPP Catherine Fine also tweeted statements of condolence.
“When our friends & neighbours are hurting, we feel it in Ontario. Our hearts break for Newtown families & the Sandy Hook community,” said McGuinty.
“Prayers go out for families and community of #Newtown...every parent's nightmare,” said Fife.
Many Southwestern Ontario residents also offered sympathies to those affected south of the border.
“It’s really hard to understand how somebody could have so much anger and hatred in them to do that to such innocent children,” said Megan Daultrey, a Grade 9 student in Fergus.
But if a similar tragedy were to happen locally, school board officials say there are plans in place to keep students safe.
The Waterloo Catholic District School Board has emergency procedures, but also takes everyday security measures such as locking the doors and running regular lockdown drills.
“It’s all very well nailed down and practiced and you don’t take anything for granted, because you never know when you may actually have to use the tools that you have,” says WCDSB chief management officer John Shewchuk.
At the Waterloo Region District School Board, a trauma team and grief specialists are retained to help students should such an event happen.
With files from The Canadian Press
