MATTHEWS, N.C. — Students, teachers, and staff will return to Butler High School in Matthews on Thursday -- days after a deadly shooting.
It will be a very emotional day for hundreds of students; many parents are still worried about their children's safety.
Officials with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) said counselors will be on hand. There will be extra staff, security, and law enforcement at the school as well.
The community knows healing will take weeks and months, but when kids come through those doors in the morning, school officials want them to feel supported and safe.
What happened Monday can't be undone.
16-year-old sophomore Bobby McKeithen was shot and killed when his classmate, Jatwan Craig Cuffee, pulled out a gun and shot him as the two fought in the hallway, according to police.
"It was a situation that should have never happened," Ashley Mewborn, the victim's mother said. "A child shouldn't have been able to walk in with a gun and be able to shoot my baby in his, just shoot him in his side and kill him."
Now Butler High is working to help students heal as they fight through the pain. According to the school's website, crisis counselors will be on hand from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday and Friday.
Matthews Police Chief Clark Pennington plans to welcome students at the door. Once inside, students should expect assemblies all morning. The principal said he wants to speak with them directly.
"I think whether you knew him or not you're still hurting," said Blake Elizalde, a senior at Butler High. "He was part of the community. He was part of our school."
No immediate changes to security have been announced, but CMS Superintendent Dr. Clayton Wilcox says metal detectors and other procedures are being discussed.
"We'll probably also look at wands and random searches of kids," Wilcox said. "We'll look at perhaps the idea of only saying you can use a clear backpack."
Midterm exams have also been rescheduled. The school said, right now, the priority is meeting the students social and emotional needs.