New Rochelle schools mull safety measures after deadly stabbing
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New Rochelle's school board is stepping up security measures as a 16-year-old student sits behind bars, and classmates are suspended in connection with a fatal stabbing that took place near the high school.
Six students have been suspended for their involvement in the fatal stabbing of Valeree Schwab. Surveillance video at a Subway restaurant on North Avenue captured some of the events prior to her stabbing down the street at a Dunkin' Donuts shop.
Seven classmates, including her accused killer Z'Inah Brown, can be seen harassing the teen and taunting her to come outside.
Since the slaying, school officials have added uniformed patrols and random searches. They also closed down the campus during the school day.
Outside of a Tuesday night school board meeting to address the string of violence in the district, residents rallied against bullying.
They sold T-shirts that read "#NewRoStrong" for $10 each to help fund the district's parent teacher associations.
"It means sticking together and as a community," says Christina Rubicco, the parent behind the shirts. "We're going to get through this together."
She says she raised more than $800.
Inside the meeting, a security expert tried to address parents' safety concerns. Some measures the district is taking include updating its emergency alert system and rolling out a smartphone app to allow students to anonymously report possible threats.