Students at the Parkland, Fla., high school where a gunman opened fire last month will soon be allowed to carry only clear backpacks on campus.
The backpacks will be given to the students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School when they get back from their spring break in April, the Miami Herald reported.
Students at the school will also reportedly be mandated to wear identification badges while in school.
“Over the past several weeks, we have received many inquiries regarding our District’s efforts to fortify the Marjory Stoneman Douglas campus and expand safety protocols at the school,” Superintendent Robert Runcie said in a letter sent to families and obtained by the Herald.
“We want to assure you that the safety and security of our students and employees remain our highest priorities.”
The letter also says Florida Gov. Rick Scott is adding additional law enforcement officers for the school. It adds that the district is “exploring options for consolidating points of entry for students and staff to include utilizing metal-detecting wands and potentially installing permanent metal detectors.”
The new measures come after the brother of Nikolas Cruz, who has been indicted on murder charges in last month’s mass shooting, was arrested earlier this week for trespassing at the Parkland school.
Zachary Cruz told law enforcement he went to the school to “reflect on the school shooting and soak it in.”
Two students at the high school were also arrested earlier this week after they were found with knives in school, the Broward sheriff’s office said, according to the Herald.
Gun control has become a central issue in the country since the Parkland shooting that left 17 people dead.
Students have been leading the charge for gun control, rallying lawmakers and demanding new gun laws to keep their schools safe. A march is being held this weekend in Washington, D.C., and in cities across the country to protest gun violence and call for change. Earlier this month, Scott signed into law measures imposing new restrictions on gun purchases in the state.
