NEWTOWN, Conn. – A 14-year-old suspect has been arrested after more than 40 tips about threatening social media messages were submitted to the National Crisis Center of the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System, a service of Sandy Hook Promise. The suspect is a student that had made threats online to commit a mass shooting at a school in Florida.
The National Crisis Center is the only national center dedicated to school-based anonymous reporting. Backed by the organization’s Say Something programming, which teaches youth and adults how to identify the warning signs of violence and get help, the crisis center has helped save countless lives nationwide through the prevention of school shootings, self-harm, and much more.
Immediately upon receiving these concerning tips, Crisis Center Counselors designated them as “life safety” and notified law enforcement and school district officials. A “life safety” tip means the potential for harm is imminent.
Following an investigation, authorities determined the student had access to a weapon, made a threat, and had a plan for an attack. They have been charged with threatening communications or threats of a mass shooting.
In response, Nicole Hockley, co-founder and co-CEO of Sandy Hook Promise and mother of Dylan who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy, issued the following statement:
“We may never know just how many lives have been saved by the Upstanders who chose to step up and voice their concerns and protect their school. They did the right thing, and we’d like to applaud each one of them as heroes.
“This prevented attack reaffirms what we know to be true: Gun violence is preventable when you know the warning signs and ‘say something.’ The ability to recognize these signals presents the best opportunity to intervene when a person is in crisis. This is how the epidemic of gun violence and school shootings can be stopped. We are grateful to the school resource officers and local law enforcement for their swift action and partnership with our National Crisis Center.
“Firearms are the second-leading cause of death among Florida children and teens. We must continue working together to teach everyone the warning signs of violence in addition to advocating for sensible bipartisan solutions that are proven to keep schools, homes, and communities safe. Policies like enhanced background checks and violence prevention training in schools are important steps that Florida can take to keep children safe from gun violence.”
A school district official, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to privacy concerns, said, “The partnership with Sandy Hook Promise allows our students, staff and the community to understand the importance of knowing the warning signs, taking them seriously, and acting immediately to get help. Training everyone to ‘say something,’ and ensuing students know how to reach out to trusted adults, has resulted in many lives saved over the years with our district’s collaborative work with Sandy Hook Promise.”
With the prevention of this most recent school shooting in Florida, Sandy Hook Promise’s Say Something Anonymous Reporting System has averted at least 18 credible planned school shooting attacks to date. Strict criteria are used to assess a prevented attack, including the presence of a clear threat and plan, access to a weapon, and where the initial information came from. In addition to the 18 confirmed prevented attacks based on this criteria, Sandy Hook Promise has averted countless other acts of violence, suicide, and self-harm since its founding.
For more information on proven violence prevention programs and policies, as well as information about how everyone can take action to prevent gun violence, please visit sandyhookpromise.org.
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Sandy Hook Promise (SHP) envisions a future where all children are free from school shootings and other acts of violence. As a national nonprofit organization, SHP’s mission is to educate and empower youth and adults to prevent violence in schools, homes, and communities. Creators of the life-saving, evidence-informed “Know the Signs” prevention programs, SHP teaches the warning signs of someone who may be in crisis, socially isolated, or at-risk of hurting themselves or others and how to get help. SHP also advances school safety, youth mental health, and responsible gun ownership at the state and federal levels through nonpartisan policy and partnerships. SHP is led by several family members whose loved ones were killed in the tragic mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012.
Media Contact:
Aimee Thunberg | [email protected] | 646.761.579
