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Statement from Sandy Hook Promise on the School Shooting in Prescott, Arkansas

Newtown, CT — Yesterday, an 8th grade boy brought a gun to Prescott High School and shot a classmate in a premeditated attack. In response to this tragedy, Sandy Hook Promise issue the following statement:

“It pains me to know that this latest school shooting was preventable,” said Mark Barden, co-founder and managing director of Sandy Hook Promise and father of Daniel, who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy. “Kids and adults must be equipped to ‘know the signs’ of potential violence and encouraged to say something when they see warning signs like social media posts of students with guns making threats. Joking with posts like this, even on April Fools Day, is never okay and should never be ignored. Our wishes for speedy recovery are with the victim and his family.”

To date, more than 6.5 million people nationwide have been trained in Sandy Hook Promise’s proven Know the Signs programs that focus on prevention to help end the epidemic of gun violence by training youth and adults how to identify at-risk behavior and intervene to get help before a tragedy can occur. Through these no-cost programs, Sandy Hook Promise has averted multiple school shooting plots, teen suicides, and other acts of violence.

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About Sandy Hook Promise: Sandy Hook Promise (SHP) is a national nonprofit organization based in Newtown, Connecticut. We are led by several family members whose loved ones were killed in the tragic mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012 that claimed the lives of 20 first-graders and 6 educators. Sandy Hook Promise is focused on preventing gun violence (and all violence) BEFORE it can happen by educating and mobilizing parents, schools, and communities on mental health and wellness programs that identify, intervene, and help at-risk individuals. SHP is a moderate, above-the-politics organization that supports sensible non-policy and policy solutions that protect children and prevent gun violence. Our intent is to honor all victims of gun violence by turning our tragedy into a moment of transformation. Make the Promise at www.sandyhookpromise.org.