School safety a hot topic at suburban Phoenix gathering

PHOENIX — A small group of church leaders, police officers and concerned citizens met Monday night at the Mountain Park Senior Living Center in the southeast Valley to discuss school safety in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook tragedy.

This meeting of the minds in the Ahwatukee village of Phoenix included guest speaker John McMahon. McMahon’s best friend David Wheeler lost his little boy Benjamin in the Newtown, Conn., massacre, and he spoke to the group about how schools are still not safe enough.

“I just want people to talk about it,” said McMahon. “I want people to start putting their heads together. To sit down and discuss it.”

Connecting To Serve and the Ahwatukee Community Network put the event together, and organizers said people can’t let their guard down on this issue.

“We need to remain as vigilant as ever when it comes to the safety of our children.”