San Bernardino school to reopen after deadly classroom shooting

North Park Elementary School is reopening Monday, a week after a deadly shooting on the San Bernardino campus.

In a video message, Dale Marsden, superintendent for the San Bernardino City Unified School District, said teachers and staff had expressed a desire to return to campus and resume classes. The district encouraged its employees to wear red Monday in support of North Park students and staff.

“As you know our children need us now more than ever,” he said. “We’re their role models, teachers, companions, support. We’ll endure and make it through this heartbreaking ordeal together as a family. We need to draw strength from each other and find ways each day to find hope, strength and encouragement to our entire North Park community and the city San Bernardino.”

Students and teachers will have access to crisis counselors as well as assistance of additional personnel.

Enhanced security measures will also take effect Monday, following pleas from parents to improve safety on the campus. Visitors must now undergo a background check and be fingerprinted before they are allowed on campus. School officials will also bar visitors from venturing beyond the main office.

The visitor restrictions come a week after Cedric Anderson, the estranged husband of special education teacher Karen Smith, entered the school on April 10 and shot her and two pupils.

Authorities said surveillance video showed that Anderson had tried to enter campus through several doors before walking to the front office to check in. A school staffer recognized Anderson. After he told the employee that he had to drop something off for his wife, he was allowed to walk unescorted to her classroom.

Anderson walked into the classroom B1 at 10:27 a.m. and immediately opened fire on Smith, killing her and then himself, authorities said. Jonathan Martinez, an 8-year-old student who was standing near Smith, was fatally shot.

A second student, Nolan Brandy, 9, was wounded. He was released from the hospital Friday.

veronica.rocha@latimes.com

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