- A knife incident at Northwest High reignited calls from families—like Lawrence Frazier’s—for metal detectors and stricter safeguards, echoing concerns voiced since last year’s on-campus shooting.
- The district says it has reviewed and improved its safety procedures since the school shooting in 2024, yet parents argue the lack of metal detectors and visible deterrents leaves schools vulnerable.
- The incident comes just weeks after another knife incident at Central High.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Omaha Public Schools is confirming a staff member was injured after a student displayed a knife inside Northwest High School on Wednesday.
Parents learned about the incident in a letter sent home from the Principal.
“A student displayed a knife in the hallway. A staff member was injured. Staff worked quickly to confiscate the item. Our staff member received immediate care from our school nurse.” The incident comes one year after a shooting in the hallway at Northwest High—a memory still fresh for many families.
Parent Reaction
Lawrence Frazier, whose son is a sophomore, said the incident left him frustrated.
“A little disappointed that the kids can even get a knife in school,” he said.Frazier has been outspoken about safety since last year’s shooting.
“It goes to show that maybe OPS needs to up their security and everything,” he said.OPS says it has reviewed and improved safety protocols in the wake of the shooting. But those measures have not included installing metal detectors—something Frazier believes would help deter weapons from entering the building.
“I think implementing metal detectors would work and maybe they would feel like they don’t want to get caught with it… and wouldn’t bring it at all,” he added.
Ongoing Concerns
Frazier said since the start of the school year, he has had multiple conversations with his son about speaking up if he notices anything unusual.
“Again… we’re going to talk today and that he has a real good understanding… because it can only get worse,” Frazier said. The Northwest incident follows another case of knife violence in OPS just weeks ago, when several Central High students were injured by a classmate.
OPS declined an on-camera interview about school safety but reiterated its commitment to ongoing reviews of districtwide security measures.
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