Families and neighbors in Waynesboro, Virginia, are sharing stories of gratitude and relief after a frightening shooting at Westwood Hills Elementary School earlier this week.
Police say a 19-year-old man, identified as Anthony I. Ignatiadis-Isabelle of Waynesboro, forced his way into the school on Wednesday morning and shot a staff member before he was found dead in the school library from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The staff member sustained a non-life-threatening gunshot wound and has since been treated and released.
Lockdown Protocols Credited With Keeping Students Safe
No other students or staff were injured in the incident. Waynesboro Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Jeffrey Cassell credited staff and law enforcement for their quick response, saying the school’s safety and security protocols worked as intended because staff notified law enforcement immediately and the school executed its lockdown procedures. Officials noted that every student and staff member made it home safely to their families that day.
Students were bused to Westminster Presbyterian Church to reunite with parents and guardians, and many families described a tense wait before they could see their children again.
Parents told local reporters that although the situation was scary, they were thankful for how quickly police responded and how well their children were kept safe. One young student who was in the building recalled hearing the gunfire up close and said it was a frightening moment he will not soon forget.
Community Response Pours In Online
The shock of the event quickly gave way to an outpouring of support across the Waynesboro area. In posts shared in local community groups, parents and grandparents described a wave of help from churches, businesses and neighbors in the days following the shooting.
One grandmother wrote that her grandson’s first words to his mother after being picked up were that his teacher had saved his life, and she thanked school staff and first responders for their bravery.
Other parents shared similar accounts, including one mother whose daughters are in third grade at the school. She said her children heard an announcement over the intercom warning them to take cover because a weapon was nearby, and that the gunman forced entry through a door close to one daughter’s classroom before students were moved to safety in another room.
Many commenters online called teachers and staff heroes and guardian angels, expressing relief that children were shielded from harm and gratitude toward law enforcement and school personnel who responded within minutes.
Westwood Hills Elementary was closed the day after the shooting, and Waynesboro Public Schools said additional law enforcement presence would remain at district schools for the rest of the week, though officials say there is no ongoing threat to the public.
The district held two lockdown drills earlier in the school year, which officials believe helped staff and students respond quickly when the emergency occurred.
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