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Every morning in her Shreveport, Louisiana, classroom, teacher Angela Hall gathers her preschoolers in a circle. Amidst the giggles and chatter, the children often take note of who is absent.
On a recent Monday, one child pointed out, “Braylon, he’s not here,” as Hall recalled. Braylon Snow, who had just celebrated his fifth birthday, was tragically one of seven siblings killed by their father in a devastating shooting that also claimed the life of their cousin.
This horrific event has deeply impacted the Shreveport community, leaving teachers like Hall to confront a whirlwind of emotions from both students and parents. The tragedy has created an atmosphere of grief and confusion in classrooms.
At Johnnie L. Cochran Head Start, where Hall teaches, Braylon’s absence was likely felt keenly. Hall’s daily routine involves asking her students to scan the room and identify friends who are missing, making Braylon’s absence all the more poignant.
In Hall’s classroom at Johnnie L. Cochran Head Start, it’s likely students noticed Braylon’s absence immediately. Each day, Hall instructs her students to look around for friends who aren’t there.
“When they come back tomorrow, we can tell them, ‘Hey, we missed you, we’re glad you’re back’” she tells them.
But Hall wasn’t ready to tell the students that the boy she described as a “cool little dude” wasn’t returning. She kept circle-time moving. Numb and heartbroken, she lasted until noon and then went home.
“I’m no good to my babies right now because I just feel like I need to be in a moment of silence and just pray,” she said.
Preschool comes to an end
At Head Start, preparation’s for next month’s graduation ceremony have been in full swing. Hall, an organist and pianist at her local Baptist church, wrote a song for the ceremony.
Students, who dress in caps and gowns for the festivities, have been busy learning the words, excited about the prospect of starting kindergarten in the fall. Hall was working hard to make sure they were ready.
Just last Thursday, she pulled Braylon’s mother aside during morning drop-off, boasting that Braylon was writing his first and last name. Braylon also was getting so independent, squirting syrup for his pancakes onto his plate by himself. He didn’t even need a reminder to wash his hands.
“Braylon doesn’t give me any problems,” she told his mother.
Braylon greeted Hall — known to her students as “Mrs. Hall” — each day with a small wave.
As the year progressed, she nudged more gap-toothed smiles from him. He loved his time on the playground — playing chase, tag and even partaking in “a little wrassling.” She laughed as she remembered it.
“He was for the majority of the time kind of a quiet little soul in the classroom,” she said. “When he did get a little extra energy or something, it was just a joy to see him smile and laugh.”
News of the shooting emerges
But then came Sunday. After church, she went to her mother’s house. It was then that she stumbled across an article about the shooting.
The number of victims was so high she struggled to comprehend it. Then she learned Braylon was among the victims. She also knew one of his brothers. He had been a Head Start student at the school last year.
“I just broke down and just started crying,” she said.
The same thing happened Monday morning at drop off when she locked eyes with a parent. Neither could say anything; the preschoolers were all around them.
“I just immediately broke down,” she said. So too did the parent and a teacher’s aide.
She is relying on her faith now. She prays for the dead, for the families and also for the teachers.
“And I’m just praying for all the educators that were connected to these children because it’s tough because my parents’ babies, they become my babies. And I treat them like they’re my own. So I’m just really praying that he sustains us all during this time.
“Just give us that strength.”