this is cbs news bay area with reed cowan. abbin north bay high school. doesn't the students witnessing the violence in their own classroom.

>> we are teenagers, this is not normal. >> personally, i will not arrive to school for a long time. urneth rse. >> we explore youth mental health and the challenges they face every day, we ask how they deal with this. >> this is where we trust our children to go. where they go to be safe. >> how they create that safety and make sure our kids have the support and care they need every day. thanks for joining us. i am reed cowan. that is where we begin. our community is hurting. we are going to have community conversation at the same time while all this week, you know this, exploring youth mental health issues and challenges kids are facing day and and day out. today, bay area families dealing with reality of violence on campus. a student was killed at a high school in santa rosa. that is where we start coverage today. we first brought you this breaking news yesterday during this broadcast. here's your update, police be leave it began with altercation

at montgomery high school. two boys, juniors, and to our class yesterday morning, looking for a 15-year-old freshman. they started fighting with him in the middle of the class. police say that is when the freshman pulled out a folding knife and stabbed both of the other boys. one was injured, the other, 16- year-old, jayden pienta, was killed. >> we are teenagers. this is not normal for us to be fighting, this and that. over little petty things. >> classes have been canceled today and tomorrow. a lot of people shellshocked over this. hugs offered outside campus while the memorial grows. that is where we find betty yu. she has been gathering the story and has more reports coming up tonight. we want a couple minutes, we thank you for your busy time. what is the mood on campus? >> reporter: it is very solemn this afternoon. that memorial has grown since we have been here. students and parents alike are stopping by to bring candles,

balloons, and flowers. as you can see behind me. and reflect on this deadly stabbing that took jayden pienta's life. many people say they knew the two stabbing victims. others told me they wanted to come by to pay respects to a young life that was lost. many of the people that are here today say they are trying to process the violence that took place on campus. i also spoke with the mother of the second stabbing victim, 16 years old, cruz, she was extremely shaken up and upset. she had raised concerns with the school regarding the same suspect weeks before this deadly incident and the district and school has failed her and the students. cruz's mother did not elaborate on what tension existed between the older students and the freshman attacker. the district did send a statement this afternoon

saying, right now, it is reviewing safety needs and discussing ways in which it can ensure better protocols in all of its schools. coming up at 5:00, hear from maria, cruz's mother, she will explain red flags existed and the district and school knew about weeks before this deadly incident. >> betty yu, thank you for filing that report. we noticed a busy day. pain inside the halls of that building behind you and in this entire bay area community. thank you, my friend. we continue to follow the story on and online on kpix.com and always streaming on cbs news bay area. so often as adults, we tackle these tough subjects,

adult to adult, important this week to hear from young people. because they are the ones living that. bay area youth talking about mental health challenges. today, sam joined me, a high school senior. your president of your school group, bring change to mine. right off the top as a student in the bay area community, your reaction to violence. >> first of all, thank you so much for having me here and thank you for doing this segment. i think what you're doing here is super important for the bay area community. i, like everyone goes without saying, shocked to hear the news. i think it is tragic and a little numbing at this point. i think this is not the first time we had a sad event happening here. i think as students come it is really sad to have this continue to happen. it was the sad the first time and still sad now but it is a little numbing at this point. >> that is a place we don't want to get, the conversations are numbing at this point.

i remember when columbine happened and the whole world was shocked. wall-to-wall coverage for months now, this is a story that will play itself out like all the others, we feel sad in a moment but go on without solutions. let's talk about solution, you're in the hallways, part of organization that addresses emotional and mental health in your school, what are solutions to turning down the emotional temperature in our schools so kids are safe. >> my club, bring change your mind, ending mental health stigma. i think there's a huge stigma around mental illness, mental health in general. movement to end the stigma and start the conversation will be super beneficial to all of us. i think stigma helps, reducing stigma helps build support systems for kids. you know, we need places to talk, things like mental illness, these events are uncomfortable to talk about which is natural. we need to embrace them and start talking about it. having those support systems is super important. i think we were talking earlier

about how montgomery high, their resource officers, they did not have them. our school is super fortunate to have wellness officers, a whole team of them to support kids when events like this happen or students are in need. i think having wellness officers, having that support in the school is super important. >> it is like a safe inside the school. to the audience, parents watching, kids watching you don't have a wellness center or wellness office in your school, look here. this is a leader who pushed for things like this in a school. what is wellness officer and wellness center in school, what does it look like, what is it do? we have administrators, principal, vice principal, team of people, wellness counselors who are not counselors for academics or anything like that. they are just there to care for students' emotional well-being. for example, last week you helped me put on assembly from the national mental illness. super awesome organization.

that helped bring that to our school, their job at our school is to help kids feel like their voices are heard and give that safe haven to students. if a student needs, they can check into the wellness office whenever they want. to have drop-in hours if something like this happens, the have a place to speak their mind, show their emotions and not internalize it and have a support system. >> what is so important, it is great for the change to happen from the top down with administrators to address mental illness. important to have young people like you who let the student body no, it is okay to go through the store, ask for help. then the kids feel like there's not a stigma with their peers for being seen going into that. how do you create atmosphere were you can't peer-to-peer let your peers know it is okay to ask for help, not be perfect, have a day that is messy. >> totally. that is super true to me,

around school unknown as a smiling face that says hi to everyone in the hallway. when i cannot to the assembly, this is a subject also super important to me. i think it was nice for kids to see someone who sort of multidimensional. i think it is important to build those connections and check on people. how much better could we be doing as a society if we said hi, how are you doing? start the day by checking in with each other. i think that is something that is super important. >> what you did is super important, i don't know if you even know you did it, you looked me directly in the eye when he said hi, how are you doing. look at sam, he is here's one of the student leaders, maybe look someone in the eye, ask them sincerely how they're doing? that is a way to create community and culture. thank you, sam. a day we are all heard and appreciate your. we want to let the audience know if you or someone you know is

struggling right now with the crisis, you can get help. help is available. suicide and crisis lifeline is one of many ways to get the help by calling or texting 988. still ahead, cautions about security at the school in santa rosa. a lot of people wondering if having officers on campus every day with eyes and ears in the classroom

we continue to follow the investigation into the deadly stabbing of a student police

say by another student in montgomery high school in santa rosa. reportedly, 27 other students traumatize because they watched it happen. of course, a lot of questions about why and how. one thing we do know is santa rosa high schools and middle schools do not have campus- based officers. here's the background on this, a lot of your asking about it. in 2020, the school district, the school board, decided to not renew that program with santa rosa police. during a news conference yesterday, a lot of people, including kids, questioned the chief about that. >> how long does it take for you guys to start caring about us? >> it is really important to understand the santa rosa police department did not remove sros from the campus. that is very important, that was decision by santa rosa school board. as chief something i advocated for us to return to but we cannot do that with the support of of the santa rosa school board. i want to rewrite what you heard, that student asked why

it to death and you heard the applause from the other kids asking those questions. the answer was, because the school board voted it so. join me is dr. emily garber from child mind institute to talk about the impact of all of this. thank you for talking to me. first question, your reaction to the school resource officer situation, removing them from the school. >> that is a really good point and what i want to talk about is it will be really important for the school to make the teenagers and staff feel safe again and to acknowledge the steps that are being taken to keep everyone safe. even if, at this point, you don't have all the answers. but to, as you get them, let them know additional resources are available to support them. >> really, it is about creating that sense of safety again. how? after violence like this.

it is reported 27 students witnessed this violence. also reported today, 97 calls for response from that school the last 12 months, 945 calls for police response to schools in santa rosa as a community. that many calls, how in that environment you create a sense of safety for kids at school? >> i think, you know, it is really important to listen and be open to whatever is coming up. for the teenagers. it is normal to be incredibly distressed by something like this. and it is a really good opportunity for the school and district to review and update safety plans to prevent another incident and how to respond to those in need of help before something happens.

>> now that it has happened, we have kids who are traumatized., israel, ptsd is something they will live with for the rest of their lives. what is the response? not only for the kids in that school district but also for kids like mine. my 15-year-old twins, the first thing they asked about when they got out of school yesterday, they don't go to school anywhere near there and there traumatized. how do we have these conversations? >> yeah, that is a great question. i think it is important to say that it was a traumatic experience. but not necessarily all kids will develop ptsd. it is normal in a situation or incident where something violent like this occurs. for teenagers, anybody to feel incredibly distressed and heartbroken and disturbed, those are normal feelings to have so i think it is really important, i think child mind

what a, child mind institute, you need to stay open to listening to whatever is coming up for your kids. >> listen and be attentive. listening and mindfulness is the first step creating safe atmospheres. we appreciate that reminder today. dr. emily bliss gerber, we appreciate you so much. depending on you throughout our coverage for weeks to,. we thank you so much. dr. emily bliss gerber with the child mind institute. talk about the range of emotions for kids going to school. what do we as parents and adults in their lives y or do at home to help them feel supported during times like this

before we went to break the last segment, dr. gerber wanted us to give you this resource as a resource, child mind.org, very important day we have community conversation. we long planned to have conversation on youth mental health and terrible news of the stabbing death. with news of the death at that northbay student campus. a lot of you across region

are hurting. dealing with questions from your kids. i did when i got home about this tragic event last night. joining me now is a psychiatrist that stands for children's health. thank you so much. this is a trauma and television but spreading all over social media. that is where kids are having the conversation. how can we as adults help our kids? >> thanks for having me. i think as horrible as these tragic events are, it is helpful for parents to know there are a lot of protective factors that can help decrease children's stress. parents can pay protective, safe, nurturing environment which really helps mitigate stress and traumatic events. what i mean by that is, being open to conversation, being emotionally supportive, nurturing, having a warm environment at home. it can be very helpful supporting our teenagers.

>> those questions we ask our kids right after school when we picked them up or they walk through the door, are so key. they open up the conversation. i wanted to tell you what i asked my kids because i have a feeling i'm not doing it right and will layout my mistakes on my television. i always say, did you have a good day or was your day great but i almost feel intuitively as we drill down on the subject of youth mental health, i'm casting a net i expect they will answer with a positive answer. what is the dialogue for that first question when the kids walk through the door? >> i love your question. i think most parents can relate to what you are saying. i think it is so helpful for us all to examine, what are the messages we are sending our children? being able to talk with children about whatever they are feeling. how is your day today? great, neutral, terrible, child comfortable expressing how their day was is helpful relaying the message that their

feelings are valued and you are interested in whatever is going on for them. a lot of times, parents say, i asked my kids how their day was, they say fine. it can be helpful to ask more specific questions, to get creative with the question. did you ask any interesting questions today? what was a challenge that you had? what was something that was a fun thing for you today? who did you eat lunch with? what did you and your friends do? being more specific about the questions can sometimes help open the door for more. >> something else i do with my kids, i teach them are central nervous system, our bodies communicate to us often what is going on with mental and emotional state. i do ask them, how did you feel the day, how did you deal with your body today in school? what about that question for starter to open up dialogue? >> that is a beautiful question. one, it opens up this idea that

all feelings are important and valid. it draws the connection between our emotions and physical experience. most of us are often in our heads. physical bodies, physical experiences have a lot of information. for children to be building that connection can be so important. >> our bodies talk to us all the time, are they not? last question for the kids, parents, community that is hurting after this that the student stabbing and violence. either earlier, 27 students witnessed this. where is the community, can we begin the healing? >> absolutely. one of the important things for us to remember, for children, teenagers, to feel part of a community can be very healing and supportive. being able to have dialogue, participatein s tother to grieve, to be with each other and feelings, for the community to activelysud

with these individuals and each other can be helpful part of the process they are feeling. >> i will use you as object lesson, doctor, pay attention she talked to us, the tone of her voice, the way she looked right into the camera, how she presented herself physically. it made us all feel safe asking these questions, did it not? dr. mari kurahashi, you have given us cues, verbally and nonverbally, how to drop the steak and have the conversations we need to have in our homes tonight around the dinner table. much love to you. thank you so much. reminder to you at home if you are hu

welcome back, everybody pick we went to get you caught up on bay area weather. here is first alert chief meteorologist paul heggen. >> looking great this thursday afternoon. plenty of sunshine, temperatures one to a greater extent than yesterday. still in cool side but a little bit of progress. mix of clouds and sunshine tomorrow. temperatures about where they are today, maybe a degree or two cooler temps of the gradual increase in cloud cover. enjoy the dry weather while it lasts because the next storm system will send rain and colder temperatures back to the bay area just in time for the

weekend. the first dr. raine moves in late saturday morning. the short term, high clouds floating through, temperatures met upper 50s, around 60 degrees. the warmest we have seen for quite a while. temperatures tonight not as cold as the past few nights but a little bit below average, mid to upper 30s and low 40s inland with low to mid 40s around the bay and along the coast. highs tomorrow, i think the 60s in shorter supply, most of us topping up mid upper 50s with low 50s along the coast. low 50s for most of the bay area saturday and sunday with a good chance of rain showers heading through the weekend. lingering showers on monday, the one change to the seven-day forecast, dry things out tuesday and wednesday before another batch of rain heads our way next thursday. >> thank you. continued weeklong community conversation on youth mental health tomorrow at 3:00. and other additions of cbs news bay area coming up at 5:00 looking at kids ' growing concerns about the environment. they're talking about that as well. how activism helps them channel the stress of that into something positive. cbs evening news is next on

kpix. local news continues streaming on cbs news bay area. thank you so much for tuning and. please tweet us your questions, we love hearing from you. we need this conversation to ♪ ♪ >> norah: tonight, the south phrases for tornadoes, baseball-sized hail hail, and dangerous winds as california digs out. and there is another storm brewing. here are tonight's top headlines. ♪ ♪ millions under severe weather alerts, from texas to mississippi, as snow traps california residents. >> please, we are begging you, send help. people are trapped in their homes. ♪ ♪ >> norah: the jury on the double murder trial of alex murdaugh begins delivering. why one juror got dismissed on the final day. ♪ ♪ severe turbulence put seven people in the hospital. a passenger describes the frightening moments. >> i thought at that moment that i was just going to die.

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