Oxford community reflects on 2 years after shooting, calls for more resources, leadership accountability
OXFORD, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - The community of Oxford took a pause on Thursday to remember the four lives lost two years ago in the tragic high school shooting.
As some laid flowers at a makeshift memorial to the school's entrance, others stopped by the All For Oxford Resiliency Center on Lapeer Road, where they were greeted by Merlin, one of the therapy dogs who welcomed students back after the tragedy.
"The community is hurting. The kids are still hurting from it all," said Roger Yank, Merlin's handler.
The center, which is run by Common Ground, offered walk-ins on Thursday so those impacted could speak with therapists and crisis-trained personnel.
They also did community-building activities and provided meals throughout the day.
"So some people are doing well, and some people aren't, and no matter what their journey is, it's their journey, and it's OK to feel what they feel today," said Jamie Ayers, director of Victim Services at Common Ground.
Since the shooting, the center has served more than 1,600 people, including 400 during last year's day of remembrance.
"It's a little bit different this year, you know, people are in a different space. So some, some people may have wanted to leave town, or they want to be with their families," Ayers said.
Some in the community feel school leaders haven't done enough to help students heal.
"The one thing that they need is to form peer support groups and be able to share their experiences and understand that what they're feeling and what they're going through is normal," said Kal Meyers, a crisis intervention specialist.
Meyers is supporting a group of students demanding the proper mental health resources and the ousting of school board leaders who were in their positions leading up to the tragic shooting and are still there.
"There's never been a resolution. And so the same people that were responsible for all of the failures are still in charge and making decisions. And whether they did anything wrong or not, they're affected by this. You cannot remain objective and make good decisions when you're a victim of a critical incident," Meyers said.
