See something, say something efforts by members of local communities have helped thwart 67 potential school attacks that had been planned to be carried out by past or present students between 2006 and 2018, a U.S. Secret Service report details.
The National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) report is designed to outline the warning signs needed to stop school violence before it is carried out, studying 67 thwarted cases, CNN reported Tuesday.
The study found in each case a member of the community helped stop the attack from being carried out, including students, school staff, or parents.
Among the thwarted attacks, an 11-year-old was removed from class with knives, a handgun, and 460 rounds of ammunition in a backpack after a mother saw kitchen knives missing and contacted the school.
The report noted most potential threats showed observable behaviors that were concerning to people around them, giving a roadmap to those who can spot them before they are acted on.
Some notable findings in the Secret Service report:
- Nearly 2/3 of would-be attackers showed symptoms of depression, homicidal or suicidal cues, or anger.
- Some showed specific interest and research in past attacks, including Columbine, the Oklahoma City bombing, or the Aurora, Colorado, movie theater shooting.
- About 85% did “weapons-related planning,” including researching weapons, how to acquire them, or bomb-making instructions.
- Often potentially attackers had readily available access to weapons, including firearms because of the being of age to buy guns or having access to parent’s guns.
The report noted the details of the attack plans were at times planned down the clothes they would wear and the music they would play in carrying out the attacks, according to the report.
The NTAC, launched in 1998, capitalizes on long-utilized Secret Service expertise and tactics to root out potential dangers and applies them to school environments the Secret Service does not serve.
Recent mass murders, including Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, 21, who killed 10 in Boulder, Colorado, on March 22, have reportedly shown alarming warning signs of mental health issues that were left unaddressed before the shooting, CNN reported.
Like the Secret Service findings, he had access to weapons, having purchase an AR-15 legally less than a week before the attack, police say.
Colorado does have a “red flag” law that could have allowed household members to request a temporary order restriction gun purchase, but no heads up was given in advance on Alissa, per the report.
“Gun laws just don’t work – it’s really unfortunate,” Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., told Newsmax TV’s “Greg Kelly Reports” last week. “We need good people to neutralize threats and defending themselves, and the people around them to protect them.
“Here in Colorado, we have some of the strictest gun laws, and they of course include universal background checks, they include high-capacity magazine bans, and then we have the extreme-risk protection orders, red-flag laws that are supposed to prevent guys like Ahmad [Al Aliwi] Alissa from doing what he did,” she added.
Also, in the past week, community members helped thwart an Atlanta supermarket shooting after an Instacart shopper saw an AR-15 style rifle in a bathroom and believed to have heard the weapon being loaded in a bathroom stall, CNN reported.
Police found a 22-year-old man with 6 loaded firearms and is investigating a list of charges.
Source: Newmax
