'Gut wrenching': Families forced to have challenging discussions after another school shooting

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A 6th grade student is dead and five other students were injured after a shooting at a high school in Perry, Iowa. The news of another school shooting is forcing some families to have challenging discussions with their families about coping with the distress from mass violence.

“It was gut wrenching,” said Felicia Pecora, a retired lieutenant with the Tampa Police Department. Pecora is also an army veteran and was with the Tampa Police Department for 23 years. She’s shedding a light on the loss and hopelessness that inevitability follows a mass tragedy and the critical conversations needed in the aftermath.

“You’re really not safe anywhere, but you can feel safe,” Pecora said. “You can’t control anyone else’s behavior, but you can feel safe. You can be confident about your own ability to identify danger so you can take action to intervene or prevent it. That’s where your control is.”.