SUPERINTENDENT ON MULTIPLE LEVELS. IT’S BRENDA. HIS JOB TO KEEP STUDENTS SAFE AT ALL TIMES. BUT MINNEAPOLIS IS ALSO HER HOMETOWN. SHE OPENED UP TO 12 NEWS KENDALL KEYS ABOUT THAT TODAY. I RAISE MY OWN CHILDREN JUST BLOCKS FROM WHERE THIS HAPPENED. THIS TRAGEDY IS SIMPLY HORRIFIC. WHEN TRAGEDY STRUCK IN MINNEAPOLIS, MILWAUKEE PUBLIC SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT BRENDA CASSELLIUS IMMEDIATELY ON THE PHONE WITH HER ADULT CHILDREN. YOU KNOW, YESTERDAY MORNING WHEN I GOT THE NEWS, I WAS CALLING MY KIDDOS, MAKING SURE THAT OUR DOOR WAS LOCKED AND THAT, YOU KNOW, MY SON WAS SAFE. CASSELLIUS WITH FAMILY LIVING JUST BLOCKS AWAY FROM ANNUNCIATION CATHOLIC SCHOOL, INCLUDING HER DAUGHTER, WHO WAS A TEACHER AT A DIFFERENT SCHOOL. I KNEW MY DAUGHTER WAS AT HER SCHOOL. SHE’S A TEACHER AND I KNEW SHE WAS THERE AND THEY WERE IN LOCKDOWN. CASSELLIUS SAYS THE NEWS EMPHASIZES HER ROLE IN KEEPING MILWAUKEE’S 68,000 STUDENTS AND 10,000 STAFF MEMBERS SAFE. WE CONTINUE TO ENHANCE OUR OWN SAFETY PRACTICES HERE AT THE DISTRICT, RECOGNIZING THIS UNFORTUNATE REALITY. SHOULD A DANGER LIKE THAT COME TO MPS? DO YOU FEEL LIKE THE DISTRICT IS POSITIONED TO ADEQUATELY RESPOND AND KEEP KIDS SAFE? I DO BELIEVE WE ARE POSITIONED WHERE WE’RE BETTER POSITIONED NOW WITH THE SROS IN OUR SCHOOLS RETURNING TO SCHOOL THIS YEAR, OUR 25 MILWAUKEE POLICE OFFICERS, WHO ARE TRAINED TO BE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS. THEY’RE ASSIGNED TO 11 OF THE DISTRICT’S HIGH SCHOOLS, BUT CAN RESPOND ANYWHERE THE DISTRICT NEEDS HELP. THE DISTRICT ALSO HAS MORE THAN 300 SAFETY ASSISTANTS TRAINED TO HANDLE THREATS. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF THINGS IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR SCHOOLS ARE SAFE, BUT STILL YOU JUST YOU CAN NEVER PREDICT AND I CAN UNDERSTAND THE PAIN AND GRIEF THAT THE FAMILIES ARE FEELING TODAY AND AND THE WORRY THAT MAYBE SOME OF OUR FAMILIES HAVE AS WELL. IN MILWAUKEE, KENDALL KEYS WISN 12 NEWS.
Advertisement
MPS supt. prepares for school year as tragedy strikes her hometown
The Catholic school shooting in Minneapolis hit Milwaukee's new school superintendent on multiple levels.
Updated: 6:45 PM CDT Aug 28, 2025
Editorial Standards ⓘ
A shooter opened fire on a Catholic church in Minneapolis on Wednesday, killing two young children and wounding more than a dozen."I raised my own children just blocks away from where this happened. This tragedy is simply horrific," Milwaukee Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Brenda Cassellius said. When tragedy struck in Minneapolis, Cassellius said she immediately called her adult children."Yesterday morning, when I got the news, I was calling my kiddos, making sure that our door was locked and that, you know, my son was safe. I knew my daughter was at her school. She's a teacher, and I knew she was there and they were in lockdown. So it's just, you know, whenever this thing happens, it hits home. But it also is broader as my responsibility as superintendent to ensure our 68,000 students here and our 10,000 staff are safe," Cassellius said.Cassellius, whose hometown is Minneapolis, has family living just blocks away from Annunciation Catholic School. She said the news emphasizes her role in keeping Milwaukee's students safe."We continue to enhance our own safety practices here at the district, recognizing this unfortunate reality," Cassellius said.At a news conference Thursday morning, Cassellius, alongside other district and city leaders, discussed the start of the school year. Milwaukee Public Schools' first day is Tuesday, and Cassellius said safety is top of mind."Should a danger like that come to MPS, do you feel like the district is positioned to adequately respond and keep kids safe?" WISN 12 News reporter Kendall Keys asked."I do believe we are positioned. We're better positioned now with the SROs in our schools," Cassellius said.Twenty-five Milwaukee police officers with school resource officer training will return to the school district this year. They're technically assigned to 11 of the district's high schools, but can respond anywhere the district needs help.MPS also has more than 300 safety assistants, trained to handle threats."They're our first defense and they're trained in de-escalation, and they're trained in how to handle threats to the building and threats to the community," Cassellius said. "We're really grateful that we have these positions within our schools."Cassellius said her teams are constantly meeting about potential threats and how to respond."We have a number of things in place to make sure that our schools are safe. But still, you can never predict and I can understand the pain and grief that the families are feeling today and the worry that maybe some of our families have as well," Cassellius said.Top HeadlinesMilwaukee principal's widow sues hospital, alleges medical malpractice Woman faces life sentence for fatal shower attack in CedarburgOak Creek residents face setback in Buc-ee's lawsuitWATCH Milwaukee Tool employee accused of stealing over $1 million in tools
MILWAUKEE —
A shooter opened fire on a Catholic church in Minneapolis on Wednesday, killing two young children and wounding more than a dozen.
"I raised my own children just blocks away from where this happened. This tragedy is simply horrific," Milwaukee Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Brenda Cassellius said.
Advertisement
When tragedy struck in Minneapolis, Cassellius said she immediately called her adult children.
"Yesterday morning, when I got the news, I was calling my kiddos, making sure that our door was locked and that, you know, my son was safe. I knew my daughter was at her school. She's a teacher, and I knew she was there and they were in lockdown. So it's just, you know, whenever this thing happens, it hits home. But it also is broader as my responsibility as superintendent to ensure our 68,000 students here and our 10,000 staff are safe," Cassellius said.
Cassellius, whose hometown is Minneapolis, has family living just blocks away from Annunciation Catholic School. She said the news emphasizes her role in keeping Milwaukee's students safe.
"We continue to enhance our own safety practices here at the district, recognizing this unfortunate reality," Cassellius said.
At a news conference Thursday morning, Cassellius, alongside other district and city leaders, discussed the start of the school year. Milwaukee Public Schools' first day is Tuesday, and Cassellius said safety is top of mind.
"Should a danger like that come to MPS, do you feel like the district is positioned to adequately respond and keep kids safe?" WISN 12 News reporter Kendall Keys asked.
"I do believe we are positioned. We're better positioned now with the SROs in our schools," Cassellius said.
Twenty-five Milwaukee police officers with school resource officer training will return to the school district this year. They're technically assigned to 11 of the district's high schools, but can respond anywhere the district needs help.
MPS also has more than 300 safety assistants, trained to handle threats.
"They're our first defense and they're trained in de-escalation, and they're trained in how to handle threats to the building and threats to the community," Cassellius said. "We're really grateful that we have these positions within our schools."
Cassellius said her teams are constantly meeting about potential threats and how to respond.
"We have a number of things in place to make sure that our schools are safe. But still, you can never predict and I can understand the pain and grief that the families are feeling today and the worry that maybe some of our families have as well," Cassellius said.
'That's where we sit every Sunday,' Minneapolis community reeling following Catholic school shooting
Top Headlines
- Milwaukee principal's widow sues hospital, alleges medical malpractice
- Woman faces life sentence for fatal shower attack in Cedarburg
- Oak Creek residents face setback in Buc-ee's lawsuit
WATCH Milwaukee Tool employee accused of stealing over $1 million in tools
