Shara Etergineoso, of Massapequa Park, is constantly concerned about the safety of her three children, including a 17-year-old attending Massapequa High School.

Those worries were heightened Wednesday when a shooter opened fire during a Catholic school Mass in Minneapolis, killing two children sitting in the pews and injuring more than a dozen others.

"We live in a society where you have to be so afraid today to send your kids to school," said Etergineoso, 51, who would like to see metal detectors and armed guards in schools. "I never thought we would be here."

The mass shooting left a pit in the stomach for many Long Island parents as they prepare to begin a new school year after the long summer break.

WHAT NEWSDAY FOUND

Some Long Island parents were on edge after two children were

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