Oakland parents still reeling from Monday's shooting at Madison Park Academy involving a 12-year-old shooter and 13-year-old victim are demanding the district make changes to better ensure the safety of their children.
Marina Munoz is one of many frustrated parents who are hesitant to send their students back to school.
"I feel really mad and frustrated because my daughter saw all this," Munoz said in an interview translated by NBC Bay Area.
Munoz said her daughter witnessed the shooting first-hand and the image of gunfire is keeping her up at night.
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"I want them to think about how they would feel if their kid came home and told them, 'I feel like it was my last day of life,'" Munoz said.
Munoz blames the school for a lack of security and communication. While NBC Bay Area's SkyRanger captured dozens of parents rushing to the school after the shooting, many families said they learned about the shooting from their children and weren't notified by the school until receiving a message more than six hours after shots were fired.
"I know the school said they did their best effort, but I know it's only promises," Munoz said. "I don’t see them really doing their jobs."
Oakland police don't believe the 13-year-old victim was the intended target of the shooting and are investigating to see if the shooting was intentional at all.
Parents said either way it brings up questions about security on campus.
"For a kid to bring a firearm on campus, something wasn’t being noticed," Vanessa, a Madison Park Academy parent, said.
Vanessa is one of a group of parents meeting with school officials Thursday night. The group plans to demand that the district make immediate changes.
"I as a parent would like to know what new protocols are they going to have for our kids' safety," Vanessa said. "What are they going to change? Are they going to put metal detectors up? What plans do they have to keep our kids safe?"
The Oakland Unified School District said it got in touch with families as quick as possible after making sure students were safe.
NBC Bay Area asked the district if any new safety measures will be implemented, but officials did not respond. They did say safety is their top priority.
Meanwhile, parents aren't backing down, saying changes are long overdue.
"Us as parents need to speak up so our voices can be heard and our kids' safety can be done," Vanessa said.
