MLCA community praying for family

MOSES LAKE - The small community at the Moses Lake Christian Academy is still in shock over a weekend shooting that allegedly involved a 14-year-old student.

Late Friday night, an eighth-grade boy was arrested for allegedly shooting his parents, Jonathon and Elizabeth Brooks, at their Moses Lake home. The couple was taken to Samaritan Hospital in Moses Lake and then flown to a hospital outside the area.

School director Brian Meiners said Sunday the parents are recovering and their wounds were serious but treatable. Nearly 300 people involved with the school met Saturday evening to discuss the incident and pray for support. Professional and school counselors, pastors and chaplains from the Moses Lake Police Department and Grant County Sheriff's Office were available for parents.

"We're such a tight knit community, there's a lot of people hurting," said Stephanie Voigt, interim director. "I mean just in shock and hurting for the family."

The 14-year-old student was on the varsity basketball team and his sister is in sixth-grade at the school.

"It really impacts lots of different age ranges," Voigt said. "Every student is going to react differently. So we're going to have to really identify a lot of different ways on how to handle it."

Administrators met Sunday afternoon to discuss the plans for the coming week, including addressing teachers' concerns on what to tell the 200 students enrolled in the school.

"Once you get to that sixth grade, which the daughter is in sixth grade, then on up, they've all had interaction," Meiners said.

Teachers arrived early to classes Monday to discuss plans for the week. Pastors and counselors will be available throughout the week.

"What we really see our role now is helping the friends and family around them process and try to figure out how to most positively help them in this situation."

Both Meiners and Voigt stressed the incident is not a school issue but a home issue.

"We have absolutely no reason for any caution here in terms of a threat to the students," Meiners said. "We have nothing that would say there's any risk here."

The Moses Lake Police Department is still investigating the incident.