When a father allegedly took the lives of his two innocent children as they slept, he also took away the innocence of many children throughout the community.

Youngsters who lived near Jason, 12, and Jennifer 7, heard the sirens, saw the emergency personnel respond and learned later the Mulvaney children had allegedly been stabbed to death by their father, James Mulvaney, who apparently committed suicide by overdose of prescription drugs.

The next day, other children at school, clubs, sports teams and beyond learned the news. Counselors were on campuses at Los Cerritos Middle School and Lang Ranch and Ladera elementary schools to help students.

Some parents were called and took their children home.

“Some children were profoundly affected and needed the support of their parents,” said school counselor Vicky Stanton.

All of them needed to be listened to and reassured. Some wondered if something like that could happen to them. Others felt guilty for not being a better friend to the young victim who attended their school. One boy asked his father if he could grow up and kill his own children.

It’s important that children are told that something like this is very, very unusual and highly unlikely to ever happen again, Stanton said.

Parents and teachers need to watch their children to see if they begin withdrawing or acting out. If so, additional professional help might be needed, she said.

The school will help with counselors and can also provide professional referrals.

Children involved in a rancorous divorce have been among those greatly affected.

For parents formerly or currently in a custody battle, Stanton suggests the two parties come together and sit down with their children to reassure them of their love and care for them.

“I know that parents want to, but they can’t fix this overnight. It’s going to take time, patience and understanding to help our children get through this,” Stanton said.

Margaret Allan, a licensed social worker who works with Hospice of Conejo, has also been on site at local schools helping children.

She stresses the importance of creating an atmosphere of openness where youngsters can bring up their concerns and parents can hear what worries their child.

It’s okay for parents to admit they don’t have all the answers, she said. Parents can listen, acknowledge and validate, she said.

“Kids are suffering, really hurting. We can’t just move in and take that away,” Allan said.

“Children have experienced a loss of innocence,” she said.

Every child has a connection, even if they didn’t know the victims. They’ve learned they are mortal and can feel vulnerable, Allan said.