Two parents in Texas guarded their children’s elementary school, unarmed, to help prevent another mass shooting like the one in Uvalde.
Ed Chelby’s 10-year-old son recently completed fourth grade at Saegert Elementary School in Killeen, Texas, which is also where his wife works as a nurse.
Like parents in the community and afar, Chelby is worried about safety following the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde that killed 19 students and two teachers.
"Watching the footage on TV weighed on me really heavily," Chelby, who first spoke to Waco station KWTX, told TODAY Parents. That night, the security expert and former military member who lives across the street from Saegert, emailed the school a question:
Could he stand outside the building and guard the area? Having already been cleared as a school volunteer, Chelby’s request was quickly approved. On Wednesday and Thursday of last week, he stationed himself outside the school's main entrance for five hours and nine hours, respectively.
“I have done this in executive protection and it’s a waiting game in which you stand there and watch for any abnormal activity,” said Chelby, adding that he had a supply of water and Little Debbie snacks and Rice Krispie treats, courtesy of students.
Principal Eli M. Lopez told TODAY Parents that Chelby’s act struck a "deep chord" and inspired another parent to volunteer. "She reached out to say, ‘I have his back’ and asked if she could watch the [other side] of the school."
That mother, Constance Autry, is a disabled veteran whose son just finished second grade at Saegert.
Related: Uvalde’s only pediatrician shares the horror of treating school shooting victims
"I wanted to let people know that others are watching, that we are here to protect the kids," Autry told TODAY Parents.
Although this wasn't arts-and-crafts duty (her typical school volunteer gig), it was easy for Autry, who served 15 years in the military as a logistics and weapon specialist.
"People asked why I would stand outside without gear, but from a military standpoint ... I can see what happens and alert the school,” she explains.
Autry assumed her post at 8:00 a.m. on Thursday (the last day of school), continuously patrolling the back of the building where she had views of the play area.
"I looked at cars that were driving too slowly ... and I had my phone at the ready to communicate with the front desk," she said.
Related: ‘No no no no not again’: School shooting survivors, families react to Texas tragedy
Autry spent six hours outside, only leaving when class was dismissed.
Protecting the community, she said, was personal.
"My husband was a special-needs teacher who worked for the district and my two children lost their father and my cousin to gun violence," Autry explained.
"No I am not bullet-proof," she said. "I am just a mom who would do anything for kids."
