My Life Since the 2012 Sandy Hook Shooting: Alissa Parker's Story
“The way I parented changed, and the way I saw the world. It’s taken some time to see the balance again—that it’s not so bleak and hopeless, that there is so much goodness to be seen.”
Editor’s Note: This is one in a series of conversations with those who have survived high-profile shootings or lost loved ones to them. The other interviews, as well as background about the series, can be found here.
When Alissa Parker sees a school, one of the first things she thinks about is whether it’s safe enough. That’s been the case ever since her daughter Emilie was murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary five years ago.
In the wake of the shooting, Parker has made the issue of school safety a central cause of her life, co-founding an organization called Safe and Sound Schools that aims to help schools prevent and respond to crises. She’s focused on practical solutions, like
