EVERETT — In the wake of the deadly school shooting in Connecticut, Everett Police Department School Resource Officers said they’ll do their best to protect students in the event of an emergency.

In a letter sent to parents, the department’s officers said mass shootings, like the one in Newtown, Conn., could happen anywhere, but they are trained to prevent them.

“It is a great honor and privilege to be entrusted with the safety of our most valuable and precious asset — our children,” the letter said.

“We cannot promise to prevent all acts of violence. But, if the unimaginable does happen — we promise not to retreat, to take the fight to the bad guy and do everything within our power to stop anyone from hurting our children.”

BELLINGHAM, Wash. — If a crisis such as the Connecticut school shooting were to happen in Washington state, local law enforcement agents want to be ready.

That’s why the  Whatcom County Sheriff`s Department conducted a mass shooting drill at Wade King Elementary school on Wednesday.

During the drill, the school bell at Wade King Elementary still rang. But instead of ringing as a way to let students out, the bell signified tactical teams with guns were headed into the school.

“We’re practicing for some kind of intruder, potentially armed, on the school campus,” said Doug Chadwick, Chief Criminal Deputy of the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Department.

The law enforcement officers going through the shooter drill at Wade King still don’t have the details about how police responded in Newtown, but they said training in an actual school helps a lot.

“Our goal here is to be familiar, be prepared,” Chadwick said. “The goal ultimately is a rapid response and a quick intervention if some tragedy like that was to occur in our jurisdiction.”

Other schools in Washington conducted their own emergency drills Wednesday.Many school district officials are beginning to discuss what changes, if any, can be made to help make our schools safer.

Police response has changed significantly in the years since Columbine, officials said. Back then, police set up a perimeter around the school to contain the shooter. Now, officers immediately go into the building and go towards the suspects.

According to local security consultant Jeff Slotnick the new idea is meant to minimize harm for students.

“The expectation is to move to the shooter as fast as possible,” Slotnick said. “We now know, based on history, that a rapid response, with people that are prepared and equipped to go in immediately and intervene is going to save lives.”

And Slotnick said saving lives is the end goal.

“That’s the whole goal here, to save lives,” Slotnick said.

(CNN) — The nation will have a set of recommendations to address widespread gun violence within weeks, President Barack Obama announced Wednesday.

Vice President Joe Biden will lead an inter-agency group to come up with “concrete proposals no later than January — proposals that I then intend to push without delay,” the president said.

Speaking five days after a gunman killed 27 people, including 20 children, at a Connecticut elementary school, Obama said that “if there is even one thing that we can do” to prevent such tragedies, “we have a deep obligation, all of us, to try.”

“This is not some Washington commission. This is not something where folks are going to be studying the issue for six months and publishing a report that gets read and then pushed aside. This is a team that has a very specific task to pull together real reforms right now.”

The group will include some Cabinet members and outside organizations.

For the complete CNN story, go here.

Photo: Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times

NEWTOWN, Conn. — Two more of the children killed by a gunman who invaded a Connecticut elementary school were buried on Tuesday as officials released new details of the deadly spree that has reshaped the debate over gun control.

The National Rifle Assn., which has been under pressure to comment on the Newtown shootings, broke its silence and issued a statement saying it was ready to offer its plans at a Friday news conference.

“We were shocked, saddened and heartbroken by the news of the horrific and senseless murders in Newtown,” said the pro-gun rights lobbying group, which has repeatedly fought gun-control legislation on the national, state and local levels. “The NRA is prepared to offer meaningful contributions to help make sure this never happens again.”

For the complete LA Times story, go here.

Photo courtesy of CNN

Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc. has stopped selling guns at its store nearest to Newtown, Conn., in the wake of Friday’s school shooting, the retailer said in a statement on its website.

The statement read:

We are extremely saddened by the unspeakable tragedy that occurred last week in Newtown, CT, and our hearts go out to the victims and their families, and to the entire community.

Out of respect for the victims and their families, during this time of national mourning we have removed all guns from sale and from display in our store nearest to Newtown and suspended the sale of modern sporting rifles in all of our stores chainwide.

We continue to extend our deepest sympathies to those affected by this terrible tragedy.

Dick’s, which has more than 500 stores in 44 states, also said that it has suspended the sale of “modern sporting rifles” in all its stores.

Authorities have said that 20-year-old Adam Lanza used a Bushmaster brand semi-automatic rifle to shoot and kill his mother before going into the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, where he shot and killed 20 children and six adults.

There are two Dick’s stores in the Puget Sound region — one in Renton at The Landing and the other in Puyallup at South Hills.

– The Orlando Sentinel contributed to this story

NEWTOWN, Conn. — Two young victims were laid to rest Monday following Friday’s brutal shooting at a Connecticut elementary school. And as school starts up again for many young students in the area, at least one big question remains:

Why?

Officials in Newtown, Conn., said there was no connection between the shooter, 20-year-old Adam Lanza, and Sandy Hook Elementary school. Officials also said the motive for Friday’s shooting remains a mystery.

“We’ll paint a crystal clear picture as much as we possibly can, but it is a slow process,” Lt. Paul Vance with the Connecticut State Police said. “It’s not something done in 60 minutes as you see on TV.”

Police will continue to interview multiple witnesses in the shooting. Investigators are also reviewing the contents of the gunman’s smashed computer and his phone and credit card records.

Federal agents said he and his mother have visited gun ranges in the past, but not in the last six months. All the guns used in the shooting belonged to his mother. However, friends of Lanza’s mother said she wasn’t fixated on guns.

“I’ve seen a lot of things in the media about her being a survivalist wacko,” Russ Hanoman, a family friend, said. “She did have guns which she used very responsibly.”

Students at Sandy Hook aren’t scheduled to return to the elementary school anytime soon. They will hold class at neighboring Monroe Elementary School. The Governor of Connecticut is also asking for people across the country to take a moment of silence at 9:30 a.m. Friday.

SEATTLE — The flag is at half-staff in front of the Ryther Child Center in northeast Seattle following the deadly school shooting in Connecticut.

The Ryther campus is home to one of the only residential programs for mentally ill children in Washington.

“We serve children between the ages of 6-15 who have pretty acute psychiatric illnesses,” said Chair of Clinical Services Karen Brady.

Brady said we may never know if Adam Lanza suffered from a true mental illness. She said it’s possible he could have had an anti-social personality disorder with underlying depression and anxiety, some which can come with warning signs in childhood.

“There can be uncontrollable rages, cruel and unusual behavior towards others, a disregard for anyone else’s feelings or to be empathetic,” Brady said. ” These are folks that are involved in really anti-social or hurtful behavior.”

It’s a common tie between many of the shooters behind recent mass killings around the country.

“It turns out that they all appear to be isolated loners who did not appear to socialize well with others,” said Ryther Child Center CEO Lee Grogg. “Even going back to Columbine we have people who were alienated and isolated who harbored a great amount of anger over things many people didn’t know about.”

While Adam Lanza was described as isolated and highly intelligent, the director of the Washington Autism Alliance wants one thing to be clear:

“I can say for sure that rage and violence is not associated with Asperger’s Syndrome or autism,” Arzu Forough said. “There are a whole host of other disorders that have rage and violence associated with them.”

This is why experts say it’s critical for parents to reach out for professional help early if they think something might be wrong. Unfortunately, there isn’t as much help out there as there used to be because of budget cuts.

Amnon Shoenfeld, the director of King County Mental Health, reports there have been nearly 100 beds cut at Western State Hospital since 2009, and nearly $50 million dollars in funding cuts.  At the same time, there has been a 40% increase in involuntary hospitalizations.

Shoenfeld is asking the legislature to maintain current funding or risk more mentally ill people winding up in jails instead of receiving the specialized services they need.

OLYMPIA – In the aftermath of the tragic shooting in Connecticut last week, many, including the President, are looking at new federal laws intended to prevent future gun violence.

Here in Washington, the same conversation is starting among state lawmakers, including an assault weapons ban.

“These are military assault weapons,” said Sen. Adam Kline (D-Seattle), who is outgoing chair of the Senate Judiciary committee that makes decisions regarding gun legislation. “This is murder of children. It’s allowed because we allow about anyone to have guns.”

The new chair of the Judiciary Committee is expected to be Republican Mike Padden of Spokane Valley. He downplayed the effect of such a law.

“They have an assault weapons ban in Connecticut,” Padden said. “Obviously, that didn’t stop the killer.”

Padden is skeptical that banning assault weapons or of closing the gun show loophole, which allows some gun purchases without background checks, could be effective.

“It’s not to say that nothing can be done,” he said.  “It’s gotta be something that is evidenced based, and so far, you know, I haven’t really seen that.

Padden does, however, favor stiffer sentences for criminals who use guns.

For years gun control legislation has been stalled in Olympia, even though Democrats, who typically supports such measures, have been in control. Some suburban and rural members of the party haven’t been supportive.

“I don’t believe the legislature by itself will act,” said Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles (D-Seattle). “There needs to be an impetus from the community and from constituencies of legislator all across the state.”

Kohl-Welles will continue to push gun control legislation, something she has done for nearly 17 years.

“When it gets down to 20 children being mowed down, you can’t any longer say it’s not the gun it’s the person,” she said.

One local leader is tired of waiting for Olympia to act. She’s ready to go directly to the people.

“Here’s an opportunity to do what Washington state does best, which is an initiative campaign,” said Tina Podlodowski, a former Seattle City Councilmember. “We don’t have to wait. We don’t have to deal with partisan gridlock. We can actually do this ourselves. So, why not turn this around for something that is incredibly positive for all our citizens.”

Padden believes there’s at least some areas where lawmakers are in agreement.

“One thing that we are quite unified on,” he said, “is the need to really look at our mental health funding and policies, and I know that that could be a highlight for a number of committees.”