Our country is struggling once again in the aftermath of another mass shooting involving our most vulnerable of populations, our children. As we struggle to watch news reports of children’s funerals, many of us are wondering what we can do to make these nightmarish realities stop. I’ve been in law enforcement for over 30 years, including decades training our local schools in enhanced lockdown procedures and several years leading a regional school threat response team. But really this is coming from me as a citizen and a father – a father who reads books on Columbine and Sandy Hook in his spare time. I’m the guy who gets second looks on the beach because I’m reading “Why Kids Kill” and “Talking to Terrorists” while on vacation.
So what can you do to reduce mass shootings in our country? Our country tends to focus on gun control and access to mental health resources. In order to avoid a political debate, I am not going to discuss either of those topics.
What can we all do today, and every day, to possibly make a difference? I cannot begin to draw conclusions about the tragedy at Robb Elementary School in Texas, because that investigation is in its early stages. But in past shootings, one motive tends to come up repeatedly: these individuals who commit mass shootings often have some sort of grudge. The easiest ones to see are the employees who get fired and return with a weapon, which we have encountered multiple times in Massachusetts over the years. Many, however, have a grudge against society, and unfortunately some choose to shoot at elementary schools in an attempt to become famous as the shooter with the highest kill total. Horrible even to think about, but we cannot hide from the facts.
How do they get to that point? And again, what can we all do to prevent it? I would offer that it starts young, with being ostracized at school for some reason. And it builds from there. It’s hard to escape the “weird kid” label when you’re surrounded by reputation-conscious peers. It only takes something small to be knocked down the social status ladder when you’re young, and it’s nearly impossible to climb back up.
So here’s what you can do, what we all could do: TALK – Try A Little Kindness.
Talk to that loner who sits by themself at lunch every day. Be that gym teacher who encourages everyone, not just the talented varsity athletes. Include the new kid who doesn’t dress like everyone else. Learn that blue hair doesn’t automatically make you “weird.” Ask a transitioning student what they are going through. Be the football player who sits with the drama kids during senior study. Be the drama kid who sits with the football team. Be the guidance counselor who goes out of their way to connect with a kid, even if the first initial of their last name doesn’t make them one of “your kids.” Ask that student why he knows so much about guns – maybe he just hunts deer and shouldn’t be labelled as “the next school shooter”. Talk to your own kids and know what’s going on in their lives. Volunteer to work with at-risk youth. Do something positive.
To quote the de-stressing comic relief many of us enjoy in this day and age, Ted Lasso: “I promise you there is something worse out there than being sad, and that’s being alone and being sad.” That sadness the “weird kid” feels about being alone after a while may turn to anger and then eventually to violence. You never know what someone might be going through, inside or outside of school. But maybe by reaching out, that kid might feel a connection to you, or to a group, or to the school.
I’m certainly not pushing anyone to enter a potentially dangerous situation. If you think someone is at that point, tell a trusted adult or call the police. My point is that simply trying a little kindness and reaching out to someone may make their day. You may not prevent a school shooting but maybe that kid will decide to talk to someone about how they cut themselves. Or you could reach out just in time to prevent a suicide. Or maybe you’ll totally change someone’s life – and unknowingly save many other lives.
Chief David Scott is the police chief in Pepperell, Massachusetts, where he has served in law enforcement in some capacity since 1989. He holds a Master’s Degree in Criminology from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell including Graduate Certificates in Leadership Policy Development and Forensic Criminology. He also serves as the Control Chief for the Northeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council (NEMLEC) School Threat Assessment and Response System (STARS).