Following an accidental shooting that took place Tuesday at Gardena High School, Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) incoming superintendent John Deasy has said that the school was not following district policy.  The policy requires schools to conduct random checks with metal detector wands, and the LAUSD has zero-tolerance regarding guns on campus.

At Hollywood High School on Wednesday, assistant principal and counselor, Dr. Emma Jeanette Burns, said her students were not in a rush to talk about it.

“Just another normal day, nothing out of the ordinary,” Burns said.

But the school, which has a student population of approximately 1,650, has a proactive approach with helping troubled teens.

“We rely on the students,” Burns said. “If they see anything suspicious, we want them to report it. Then, we’ll call in that student at random so we don’t frighten them or single them out.”

Even though the school doesn’t have metal detectors, Burns said school personnel are vigilant about keeping students safe, and the school does conduct random checks with the hand-held security wands.

“If a student’s wearing a backpack all day long, there’s something going on,” she said.

If a student is caught with a weapon at Hollywood High, Burns said the school police department and parents would be called. A counseling session would take place where they speak with the student and determine why the gun was brought to the school in the first place. Burns said in most instances, the student may have brought the weapon to school for protection.

“I’m always advocating that if students have problems, they should feel free to talk to administration,” Burns said.