Concerned Wake Forest parents want to know how school leaders plan to keep their children safe, after a man was arrested for threatening to shoot students.

About 100 parents of Jones Dairy Elementary school students attended at PTA meeting Thursday night to discuss school safety.

“They are my babies, and I don’t want anything to happen to any of our babies,” said one parent.

Parents say while they’re relieved Arthur Kochetkov is currently behind bars, they’re concerned what safety measures would be in place once 33-year-old is released.

“We have a young child at the school. When we hear things in the meeting tonight like, ‘We’re assessing armed security post the release. We’ll asses it as we go in time,’ it just give us emotionally pause for concern that everything is potentially being done here for our child, and our child’s safety,” said parent Nicholas Peloni.

Kochetkov, who lives behind the school, was arrested for communicating threats and making a false report of mass violence on educational property, which is a Class H felony.

According to District Attorney Lorrin Freeman, the maximum sentence for Class H felony for someone with no criminal record is eight months.

According to court documents, Kochetkov posted a threat which read in part, “I’m probably going to shoot up the neighborhood kids.” In June, he was arrested for trespassing on Jones Dairy School property, taking picture of the locks on the doors.

Freeman could not attend Thursday’s meeting, but wrote a letter to parents calling the ordeal “an extremely troubling time.” She wrote that her office is working with law enforcement, Wake County Public Schools, and mental health experts to find a resolution.

PTA President Leslie Fielding-Russell said she felt reassured after meeting with Freeman, members of the SBI, Wake County Sheriff’s Office, and Wake Forest Police.

“Everyone is working together to make sure, number one, our school is safe and also that everyone gets the help we need and we have a long term solution,” Fielding-Russell said.

During the meeting, some parents asked if they’d be allowed to transfer their students to other schools. Many parents said besides safety concerns, the threats have made their children anxious or worried.

Katie Peloni said they’ve tried to shield their 5-year-old from the concerns.

“While she’s not hearing it at home, she may hear things from other kids and we do worry about that,” she said.

Krystal Reardon, Wake County Schools Director of Counseling, told parents it was important to remain calm around their children. She suggested not bringing up the threats, unless their child asks.

Many school leaders stressed a desire to return to some sense of normalcy, and said they were considering allowing the children back outside for recess, which they’d stopped because of the threats.

Kochetkov is due in court on Oct. 10. Some parents said they planned to attend the hearing.

In her letter, Freeman said if Kochetkov is released on bond there are several stipulations including he must stay one mile away from Jones Dairy Elementary School, undergo a mental health assessment before bonding out, and be subject to electronic monitoring if it’s available.

He’s also barred from using social media, possessing firearms or other dangerous weapons, and is not to leave North Carolina, according to Freeman.