It has been six years since the Sandy Hook Elementary tragedy. A 20-year-old man killed 26 children and teachers. The parents of the children who were killed are doing everything that they can to make sure that this tragedy does not happen again. They have formed the Sandy Hook Promise. This is a non-profit organization that is training people to recognize the warning signs of a potential shooter.
They launched the Say Something Anonymously Reporting System earlier this year. Over 600 school districts have used this app since it was launched. The app allows people to write a description of the type of threat that occurred. They can also attach social media posts and photos. People who report a threat will be connected to a professional counselor. The tips will then be sent to school officials and the police.
Students stated that they feel more comfortable using an app to report a threat than going to a school administrator. It can be difficult to determine how many school shootings have been prevented because of this app. However, officials have stated that the tips that they have received have been helpful.
According to the United States Secret Service, 80 percent of the school shootings that occurred in the past were not random. Someone knew that they were going to happen. In 60 percent of the school shootings, several people knew that they were going to happen.
Mark Barden is the co-founder of the Sandy Hook Promise. His son was killed in the 2012 shooting. He thinks about his son every day. He believes that the Sandy Hook shooting could have been prevented. He stated that there were red flags that were there.
Debra D’Angelous has trained high schoolers to recognize threats. She stated that the threats are not always obvious. For example, someone may say something like “They will regret that they met me.” She encourages people to be vigilant and report anything that does not seem right.
Daniel Radka is a senior in high school. He is a fan of the app. He stated that he heard a kid threatening to shoot up the school a few years ago, but he was afraid to report it. He did not want the kid to know that he reported the threat.
