Parents wait for news after a reports of a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2018. (AP Photo/Joel Auerbach)

Area school superintendents reacted with shock regarding Wednesday’s mass shooting at a high school in Florida. At least 17 people were killed, and a 19-year-old former student was taken into custody.

Jamestown Schools Superintendent Bret Apthorpe called Wednesday’s events “tragic.”

“It’s terrible that this is becoming a familiar event,” Apthorpe told The Post-Journal. “It’s a pit-in-your-stomach feeling; you think of these children as your own.”

Apthorpe said he has talked with district principals to revisit safety protocols. He said it is important to remember now more than ever that connecting with students is important.

“We need to send a message to our staff and families … we need to be connected with our kids,” he said. “This is the worst feeling an educator can have. We’re in this business because we love kids — this is the complete opposite of that.”

Apthorpe said safety in schools has been revisited since the Columbine and Sandy Hook school shooting tragedies.

He said area schools are still “safe places to be.”

In the face of the tragedy, Apthorpe said “The Jamestown school family sends their prayers to Florida.”

Bert Lictus, superintendent of the Panama Central School District, called Wednesday’s shooting a “very sad day.”

“Once again, we’ve had a tragedy in the one place that should be safe for kids,” he said.

Lictus said school shootings have become a “sad truth” in education today. He said Panama has drills and safety protocols in place regarding such situations, which he noted will be revisited in the next few days in the wake of Wednesday’s incident.

“We talk about it and prepare the best you can,” Lictus said. “You certainly never think it will happen in your school.”

He said counselors are aware of what happened and will be available for students; teachers will also address any questions or concerns from students in an “age-appropriate manner.”

“It’s a really sad day for anyone who has a heart,” Lictus said. “We’re going to have to have that conversation as a nation — what are we willing to accept?”

Lictus said he believes Chautauqua County schools are safe for students, but noted that tragedy can strike anywhere, no matter what precautions are taken.

Chautauqua County Sheriff Joe Gerace agreed.

“It’s horrific,” Gerace said. “It’s impossible to make sense of it sometimes.”

Gerace said his deputies train year-round for a variety of situations, including mass-casualty incidents. He said his department also reviews existing capabilities and response options following national tragedies to determine if any improvements can be made.

“What’s frustrating is that there’s no simple solution,” Gerace said of school shootings, noting that he is a strong supporter of school resource officers. “They can protect the staff and the students in the schools.”

The Sheriff’s Office currently has three deputies working full-time as resource officers in area schools. Gerace said he would like to see the federal government assist schools in hiring SROs, which can be costly for many districts.

“I would like to see more support from the federal government in funding local agencies to provide the officers,” he said.

In Bemus Point, Superintendent Michael Mansfield said the district recently reconstructed the entrances at the elementary and middle/high schools. He said visitors are now required to speak with a staff member and be “buzzed in” to get into the schools.

The superintendent said the district is also looking at improvements to cameras and door locks through a Smart Schools bond. Mansfield, who has been an educators since the ’90s, said he feels sympathy for the families involved in the shooting.

“The most important thing is being conscientious of having relationships with our students,” he said. “That’s the most proactive measure you can take.”

Kaine Kelly, superintendent of the Randolph Central School District, said the number of mass shootings throughout the country this year alone is “frightening.”

“It clearly has become an epidemic that needs attention,” he said.

Kelly said a letter will be sent this morning to let teachers know how to handle questions from students regarding the shooting. He said any time there is an incident such as the one that occurred in Florida, it causes those in charge of keeping kids safe to pause and re-evaluate safety protocols and plans.

Eric Tichy contributed to this story.