ATLANTA — Safety concerns are rising after two shootings involving school buses on Monday morning.
An Atlanta police officer shot 27-year-old Ralphael Trammel, who police said fired shots at children at a bus stop. Right as that was happening, Gwinnett police said 57-year-old Celeste Saunders shot at a school bus full of children in Suwanee.
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Thankfully, no kids were hurt in either of the shootings, but experts worry about the psychological trauma these shootings may have caused.
Dr. Sharnell Myles with Embark Behavioral Health is a trauma specialist who works with children. She said she worries about the long-term effects of trauma, and said it can definitely take a toll.
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“It can lead to feelings of isolation. It leads to depression, anxiety. Sometimes we notice that there’s a change in how they function in school; there can also be a change in things like eating and sleeping, and just your overall wellness,” Myles said.
A witness, Jalissa Rattley, said she told the kids to run when Trammel opened fire at the bus stop.
“I held the horn. I told him to run, told the children to run. They ran and then that’s when he opened fire,” Rattley said.
One parent with two young children at the stop during the shooting said her boys are shaken up.
She said she plans to drive her boys to school from now on.
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